Darkest Before Dawn Part 3
by slingblade125
Summary: Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham desperate to recapture the Joker. He is racing against the clock to get John Blake ready to fight beside him when the Clown Prince of Crime resurfaces. Will Bruce be able to balance tracking the Joker, rebuilding Gotham and mentoring Blake while trying to build a future with Selina Kyle? Story Continuation- Set after Demons in the Dark
1. Chapter 1

_Well guys I finally jumped in and started the next installment of our story. Believe me it was rough going. I wrote chapter 1 and junked it like five times before taking this angle on Bruce's return to Gotham. I would love to hear some feedback and any ideas for the story line should anyone feel like sharing. _

_I miss talking Bat/Cat with all of my long time readers/reviewers. I am glad to be back amongst you __again_

_-Slingblade-_

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_Just to refresh your memories and set the stage... This story takes up after Bruce and Selina's engagement. It begins right after the final chapter/epilogue of Demons in the Dark. I went ahead an put the one shot chapters into the main story to better help everyone track on the time line. But here is a quick refresher just incase...__Bruce, Selina and Alfred have been in Europe where Bruce received treatment for his degenerative joints. He got the call there that the Joker had escaped from Arkham Asylum._

_...Now... _

_...here... _

_...we..._

_..go..._

Bruce awoke before the alarm. He had barely slept at all but this was a moot point as his body had become accustomed to waking at this hour regardless of his level of fatigue. As the days stretched into weeks since his return to Gotham his body had managed to adapt itself to the rigorous new demands of his morning ritual. His body had adapted to life back in Gotham even if his mind and heart still remained in Florence.

Bruce rolled over and faced the empty expanse of bed that should have held her, that _could have_ held her if he had not insisted that she stay behind. He pressed his fingers to his eyes rubbing the hot orbs until light sparkled behind the closed lids. He had regretted every second of their last face to face. He could still hear himself saying those words, telling her that he didn't want her in Gotham with him… telling her that he didn't need her here... telling her that she would only be a hindrance to him if she came… that she would just be a weakness for the Joker to exploit. He had told her that he had Blake now so he didn't need her help anymore.

That had finally done the trick. Selina had looked at him after he said it like he had slapped her in the face. In truth, he practically had. With that statement he had discounted everything she had been to him, everything she had been to Gotham.

He would never forget the look on her face.

She had been sitting on the light blue duvet that covered the bed they shared in Alfred's guest room wrapped in a white robe after having shed her rain-soaked running gear. She dried her hair and argued her point while he packed a small carry on for his flight back to Gotham. She tried reasoning with him, then negotiating and finally all out demanding that he relent and agree to her accompanying him back to the city. She had fought to keep them together until that sentence came out of his mouth. Then there was just an icy silence that filled the room between them.

Bruce had watched her face harden into a mask of calm control. He watched as her defenses slid into place between them, but they were too late to save her. His words had landed, he had already hurt her. He had dropped everything in his hands and took two quick strides intercepting her as she was moving toward the door. He held her tightly against his chest while he whispered a quiet apology into her ear. He swore to her that it was his desperation speaking and that he had not meant a word of what he had said.

She had stood still and strong before him and simply nodded, "I know you didn't, Bruce, but that doesn't mean I'm going to just sit here and listen to this shit." She took a deep breath, " I know what that bastard did to you, Bruce. I know what he took from you. I get it." She had pulled away from him giving a reassuring squeeze to his biceps, "I get it."

She paused at the door of the room and looked regretfully over her shoulder, "But knowing all of that Bruce, knowing exactly what he is capable of… can you really blame me for wanting to go back with you? Can you blame me for wanting to be there beside you when you face him? I understand why you want me to stay clear, just don't expect me to be happy about it. And don't expect me to stay on the sidelines for long. I know how to handle myself. I've made the difference between your success and failure before, Wayne. Don't forget that."

Those were the last words spoken between them before he and Alfred were in the air bound for the states.

Midway across the North Atlantic he had wished that he had been able to convince Alfred to stay behind as well. The English gentleman was obviously displeased with how he handled the situation and had remained unusually silent through the flight. Silent until Bruce made the mistake of trying to justify to him why he had left Selina behind. Alfred had not hesitated in recounting Bruce's own words as he reminded him of Fox's warning that he should not try to control her.

Bruce growled aloud as he rolled in the bed and came to rest on his back. He shoved a balled fist under his head and glared up at the ceiling. _I knew Alfred understood why I couldn't have her here in Gotham. He hadn't needed to hear the my futile explanations on the flight. It had nothing to do with her taking time away from Blake's training or distracting me from finding the Joker. It was about Rachel. Alfred and I both knew that was at the core of it. Hell, Selina even knew it._

After listening to his string of excuses Alfred had just sighed and given a suffering look before breaking down the situation, "Master Wayne, had you brought the missus with, you would have likely spent the past four hours strategizing on the Joker's whereabouts and formulating a plan for finding him instead of worrying over the status of your fledging relationship. So remind me again of how in her absence Ms Kyle is somehow less of a distraction?"

Bruce had opened his mouth to retort to that statement and abruptly snapped it shut. He slipped his phone out of his pocket, walked to the rear of the plane, and dialed her number. She picked up on the third ring, but static filed silence was his only greeting. "Selina. " Her name was an echo of pain.

As the sound escaped his throat he dropped into a padded chair and lowered his head into his hand, raking his fingers through his dark hair. "I'm sorry, Selina. I shouldn't have asked you not to come. I was wrong to do it. Very wrong to say what I did to you to try to make you stay there. You know how much I love you. I'm just…" His voice trailed out and he let out a frustrated breath.

She finally spoke to his emotional state, "You are afraid."

Hearing her say that brought him up ridged in the aircraft's leather recliner. He searched himself for a response and his lips pressed into a hard line, "Yes I am, Selina. The Joker has given me every reason to fear him. I know the kind of things he is capable of." There was no response to his words as she just let him work through the emotions on his own. "But that doesn't make what I did right, Selina. I will book you a flight out of Florence in the morning to Gotham or I can get you a private charter-"

"No." Her reply was firm and he could tell by the tone that she was beyond influence. "Bruce, if my being there weakens you, then you were right to ask me not to go with you. You need to be free to deal with things in Gotham without worrying about me every step of the way. When I said I understand I mean it. I get it... I do." There was a long pause, "You don't have to worry about me, Bruce... just go handle your business."

He had heard the grim finality in her voice. Even after she assured him that she would be there for him when this was over he had felt unsteady. _I hadn't needed the Joker to break us apart, I did it myself. Who needed a painted lunatic to destroy things when I was lunatic enough to do it myself? _He tried then to tell her that he wanted her with him, that he _needed he_r beside him, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words. He couldn't bring himself to beg the woman he loved to come to Gotham to do battle with this demon. _Not this one, Selina. Not the Joker._

The alarm on the night stand sounded and Bruce silenced it with a practiced flick of his wrist. He pressed his thumb against his eyes and tried to think through the blossoming pain in his head. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed and paused for a moment as he ran his hands vigorously over his face. He heard Alfred walk into the room likely to assure that the alarm had managed to awaken him. Bruce kept his head bowed as Alfred laid a warm hand on his bare shoulder, "Did you get much rest, master Wayne?"

Bruce nodded and patted Alfred's hand, comforting the old gentleman. Bruce knew he was concerned at how hard he had been pushing himself and Blake. But, it had to be done. He had to do everything in his power to get the kid ready before the Joker reappeared.

In the weeks since his escape from Arkham Asylum it had become eerily calm in Gotham. The entire city seemed to be holding its collective breath waiting on the green-haired monster to unleash his special brand of terror upon the city. With his foreboding silence, the Joker managed to accomplish what even the destruction of Bane's regime had not, the threat of the Joker was causing a mass depatriation of citizens from Gotham City.

The news media was calling it an exodus from evil as hundreds a day were pulling up stakes and evacuating the city. Gotham's citizens had finally had enough of the insanity and were fleeing. Dozens of prominent business had pulled their headquarters out of Gotham eager for a chance to restructure elsewhere in a climate that was more conducive to regrowth rather than chance a rebuild in a precarious economy with the threat of the Joker looming on the horizon.

Bruce had spent his fair share of time in the spotlight reassuring the citizens through various media outlets that Wayne enterprises was staying the course and that both he and his company remained invested in the city of Gotham and the recovery efforts.

On days like today it was the responsibility he felt to Blake and Gotham that gave him the strength to face it all again. Bruce forced himself to move, he grabbed up the grey sweatpants Alfred had laid out for him, pulling them over his black boxer briefs. A plain hooded grey sweatshirt followed and then socks and running shoes. He stretched the kinks out of his back as he stood. When he took the first steps to the bathroom, he nearly smiled. Pain free knees were still a novelty to him. He flexed his shoulders and elbows and shook his head marveling at the improvement in his mobility. Selina's words echoed in his head, '_To bad the Doc doesn't treat broken backs and concussions, you would be damn near bionic, Wayne.' _He sighed and mumbled to himself, "Damn if I don't miss that smart mouth of hers."

Blake was waiting in the main room talking quietly with Alfred when Bruce arrived. When he walked in, Blake stood and looked at him expectantly. Bruce gestured to the rear of the penthouse. "Weights and Jujutsu today," he informed Blake matter-of-factly.

Blake nodded and made his way back to begin his warmup . After several runs through a Tai Chi stretching and balance routine Blake found himself relaxing even though he knew the following session with Wayne would likely be brutal hands on fighting.

Jujutsu was a weaponless close combat martial art designed for defeating armed and armored opponents. Today's lessons would likely entail learning joint locks, holds and throws. At least he knew what to expect today, often Bruce didn't even tell him what martial art form he was learning. He would just demonstrate the skills, and they would work on his form until Blake was able to reproduce it flawlessly.

Before the session ended, Bruce would take him into the center of the padded mat and they would run through all of the maneuvers that he had learned. It was more a mental challenge than a physical one for Blake, but if he forgot a defensive trap or a counter maneuver, the correction was swift,immediate, and_ very_ physical. Bruce would hammer him hard to the mat and then help him silently back to his feet. He would review the flawed skill and then they would begin again.

The combat training had muscles aching in his body that Blake had never even known existed. After their morning sessions, he would limp back to shower in what had officially became his room in the Wayne penthouse while Bruce took coffee with Alfred in the kitchen. Alfred would give him the rundown on his itinerary for the day and Bruce would pound down one of those god-awful green wheatgrass protein shakes before showering and heading into the office with Alfred at the wheel of the Benz. Blake would inhale a huge breakfast prepared by Mr. Penneyworth and then it was back to training.

From eight to noon he took martial arts lessons from two staple instructors hand-picked by Wayne and flown in directly from the respective birthlands of their disciplines. Karate on Monday's Wednesdays and Fridays with an ancient Japanese instructor from Okinawa and Kung-Fu on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with a young, very intense Chinese man based out of Hong Kong. Then it was a lunch Alfred had ready for him in the fridge a short nap if he was lucky before the afternoon sessions began. He always looked forward to those as they offered the greatest variety in his training. An assortment of instructors would visit, many of who spoke little to no English. They offered sessions in stick fighting, grappling and occasionally throwing arts and sword handling.

Often by the end of these sessions, Wayne was back from the office. Blake and Alfred would have dinner together while Bruce dined alone in his private study or if the weather permitted on the balcony overlooking the city. Then like clock work, thirty minutes after Alfred cleared the dishes he would emerge and Blake would fall in behind him and they would disappear together into the safe room. From there Wayne would take him below Gotham City and the practical training would began.

With suits on and masks in place they would face one another like armored gladiators. Bruce would pace him through his skills showing him how to adjust and balance while wearing the cape and cowl. Only then, under the cover of night and in the secluded darkness of the tunnels below Gotham would Bruce speak to him about invisibility and the art of Ninjutsu.

Blake remembered the first time he heard Bruce whisper the word. '_Ninjutsu.' _It felt like Wayne was sharing a dark and personal secret, "It is the art of forbearance, patience, self-control, restraint and tolerance. It is Japanese in origin and was practiced by assassins in ancient feudal Japan. It is a discipline based in stealth and darkness. It is covert warfare. It's practice inspires fear and confusion in its victims and then exploits their weakness."

He paused and his eyes grew cold, "It is considered dishonorable to fight using such psychological attacks... dishonorable to pray on the fear of your enemy. By using these skills you will become below human. You will be _shinibi no mono... _you will become ninja and be bound by their code. You must accept that you will forever live in the shadows and accept that in death you will remain nameless and the legacy of your battles will belong to only the people you served."

Blake had heard a rustle down the tunnel behind him and turned away, when he looked back Wayne was gone. He spun a slow circle peering into the darkened corners of the expansive room, his eyes searching for him in the shadows. He flicked on the visor in the cowl and immediately picked up a heat register directly above him. "Might as well come out, Bruce. I see you."

A gloved hand gripped his shoulder and Blake wheeled around, finding Bruce standing silently behind him, "You see only what I allow you to see." Bruce's voice was calm as if it had taken no effort from him at all to elude detection. The voice of the Batman filled the echoing chamber, "You will be schooled in the art of non detection, avoidance and misdirection. To satisfy this discipline you will learn disguise, escape, concealment, archery, medicine, explosives and poisons." Blake had met Bruce's eyes and in that moment, he understood the true weight and responsibility of the knowledge Bruce carried.

The training Blake was receiving was everything he had dreamed it would be. However, with the enlightenment that came with each completed lesson, Blake could only see how much further there was to climb before he would ever be on equal footing with Wayne. With every skill learned, Blake felt both more in awe of Bruce and more ill at ease with his own ability to ever serve in place of him. Gone were the preconceptions he had of Bruce Wayne and to hell and gone were any preconceptions he had ever had of what it meant to be the Batman.

Blake learned the technology behind the Bat quickly under the tutelage of Lucius Fox. He spent countless hours with the patient man in the vaults of Applied Sciences. The blasted floor remained open and served as perfect drop point to practice with the grappling gear and learn the glide skills needed to perfect his usage of the available Wayne tech.

The job Lucius had done in securing the surrounding tunnels under Wayne Tower had been nothing short of miraculous. He had gone to the extremes of acquiring the subcontractors that had been employed by Daggett Industries and brought them under WE direction as Ginger Fox Construction. Under Fox's direction, they low bid for the city contract on the subterranean inspection, restoration and remaping of the drainage and sewage systems under Gotham.

Blake had not needed Fox to explain the significance of this coup. He had grinned over at Lucius, "The city council just turned over the entire substructure of Gotham to the Batman."

Lucius had smiled back at him and shrugged, "They have tried on countless occasions to present Mr. Wayne with the keys to the city, I guess Bruce was finally ready to take them up on their offer and make himself at home. Besides, I did cut Gotham one heck of a deal on the contract. With what I bid this out at GFC will barely break even on payroll and materials."

Fox cackled in obvious pleasure that after all that he gained for Wayne by securing the city contract he was still able to squeeze the construction company through in the black on the balance sheets. "Now of course Mr. Wayne will be springing for the extra costs on the additional digs. Extending the tunnel out to the Palisades will be no cheap easy task, but when it is completed there will be a private dry channel that will link the cave system under Wayne Manor directly to Wayne Tower and the Tower to secure berthing ports all through the city."

Multiple crews from Ginger Fox Construction unknowingly rerouted the existing drainage tunnels around the expansive cavern under WE. City maps were redrawn and the space under Wayne industries simply ceased to exist. The fifty-man crew that had been tasked with pulling off the dig to the Pallasides were imported workers from a South American mining company.

It was no coincidence that their drilling company had also been a recent acquisition of Mr. Wayne's. The men were brought in to Gotham under heavy cover and compensated handsomely both for their labor and their discretion. The team of men were operating under the impression that they were working at a secret dig site in Australia. The cover story was further reinforced by the security team that watched over them, that had themselves been imported from an offsite WE medical research center near Melbourne. They crew were housed barrack style on the lowest level of Applied sciences during their stay. The crew was well provided for, but as per their contract, they were required to stay on premiss and contact with outside sources during the duration of the dig was prohibited.

The diggers had been more than willing to sacrifice their time with family as they had developed a deep loyalty to their new employer. Since new management had taken over the mining company operational safety measures had been employed that resulted in a cessation of precarious digs in non-supported honeycomb tunnels. The minors had watched in disbelief as charges were set and then cheered as directed blasts closed shut the lucrative but dangerous mineral shafts that had claimed the lives of so many of their coworkers.

If that had not been enough to sway their loyalty the new owner had brought in medical teams to provide medical care and vaccines to the workers and their families and eventually extended medical support to the people in surrounding villages. Also the mining company's private security team had quickly and quietly displaced the corrupted military force that had long lorded over the community. It had been a life-altering whirlwind of change for the impoverished community and the mining company had been the catalysts for it all.

A legend had already been born to explain the incredible change in fate. It was widely believed among the locals that it was the flawless purple diamond that had been pulled from mountain side that had brought forth their good fortune. Miners were treated like heroes in the village and their increased wages drove forward the local economy. So when the foreman had asked for volunteers to complete a project for their new owner and benefactor there had been so many men eagerly come forward that most had to be turned away.

Blake had seen the crews in action himself. They were the hardest working men he had ever seen. They were also proud. The supervisor had taken him in hand, slammed a hard hat on his head, and practically drug him over to a tattered map indicating to him the distance they had made for the day. The drill operator had invited him up to see the state of the art rig he had been provided and then walked him personally down into the trenches to observe the clearing progress.

Blake's limited Spanish provided for him enough that he was able to tell him good job and thank you. When one of the rock haulers had approached him and asked him a question, Blake was able to decipher that the man was asking the score of a soccer match between Peru and Brazil. Blake was only barely able to say that he didn't know.

Later that night with help from Lucius he interrupted the Spanish dubbed movie that had just begun to play on the large flat screen and started a bootleg replay of the soccer match. The cheers and adulation that accompanied the start of the game had moved Blake. Never a fan of soccer he became one that night as he was forced into a chair and a steady flow of imported beer seemingly materialized in his hand can after can. He drank and cheered along with the workers as underdog Peru took down the Brazilian futbol juggernaut three to two.

Lucky for him Fox had thought to smooth over his disappearance that night with Bruce. During the game had received a text from Fox: _I notified BW that our "training " was running long this evening_._ He suggested you not drink too much more as you have an early session with him in the morning._ Blake had smiled down at his phone, "Damn Bruce, you are scary sometimes."

In all honesty, Bruce was scary _most_ of the time. They had gone out into Gotham together the third week of training. Bruce had led him through a maze of tunnels out into the heart of the city. He had looked at Blake and told him to follow his lead. The next four terrifyingly exhausting hours were spent trying to follow the Batman through an obstacle course of steel and brick as he leapt from building to building, scaling walls with his hydraulic grappling gun and sailing fearlessly off the skyscrapers of Gotham.

During all of this, Bruce was nearly completely silent. He would watch Blake complete the exercise and wait for him to breathlessly reach his location and then he was off again. Blake became more accustomed to the silences when they were training at night. The Batman was meant to be silent. It was when their masks came off that Blake found Bruce Wayne's silences unnerving.

Outside of their training sessions Bruce rarely spoke unless Blake or Alfred asked him a direct question. He spent the hours he wasn't working with Blake or at the office on his computer in the study working on analysis of crime patterns in Gotham. Alfred fielded his correspondences and screened his phone calls. The only calls Blake ever saw get put through were from people on what he had dubbed the short list: Pepper Pots, Gordon, Fox and Selina.

When it was Selina Bruce would stop whatever he was doing and disappear into his room. The aftermath of her calls were either the best of times or worst of times. Blake had learned his lesson quickly on trying to help Wayne through the worst. He had taken a good old-fashioned ass kicking when he offered to spar with Bruce after one of her calls. He noticed Bruce gloving up and heading for the heavy bag he had foolishly offered to go a few rounds with him. Fifteen minutes later Alfred had been acting as his cut man tending to his split chin while Bruce went to work on his original target, the three hundred pound heavy bag.

Alfred had ended up doing first aid on the bag as well. He dutifully patched the splits in the sides of the custom leather bag with strips of grey duct tape. Blake had asked Alfred then about the change he saw in Bruce. The old butler just smiled as he pressed the tape onto the bag and said _this was_ Bruce Wayne. He told him that it was the other side that he had seen of Bruce that was the real enigma. That it had been only for Selina Kyle that the laid back happy Bruce Wayne had ever made an appearance. Blake tried not to show his disappointment when Alfred told him that they weren't likely to see that side of Bruce resurface until Selina either defied his direction and came back to Gotham or Bruce defeated the Joker and went to Italy and collected her himself.

As Bruce walked silently by unwrapping, the tape around his wrists Blake realized that either of the scenarios concerning Selina's possible return to Gotham were sounding pretty damn good right about now. Alfred gave him a small knowing smile and patted his knee in reassurance, "I know he doesn't seem the same man to you Master Blake and it is through no fault of your own. This entire business of waiting for the Joker to show himself is taking a toll on his nerves as you might well imagine. The separation from Ms Kyle only serves to worsen his temperament. That unfortunately rolls down the hill to us lad."

Blake watched Wayne disappear wordlessly through the doorway and he sighed, "I never thought I would ever say it Alfred, but I wish Selina Kyle would bring her ass back to Gotham.

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_I hope you all enjoyed the training sequence with Blake. I think that it would have been awesome to see Bruce taking him through his paces- passing on the knowledge he picked up on his travels abroad. _

_I hated having Bruce leave Selina in Italy but there was no scenario in my mind that would allow him to willingly put her in the same city with the man/monster that murdered Rachel and destroyed Harvey Dent. I am expecting to hear different from many of you on how he should have dealt with it. I look forward to the discussion. Review and let me hear your take on things._

_No idea just yet how many chapters it will be- the story just kind of goes on its own when I write. That's why I love suggestions from readers on plot lines and such. It is never too late to add things in or change things up to include your ideas. _

_I will be trying for weekly updates, but that too will be dependent on the creative process. Things seem to be developing slower on this story than the others before. Thanks again for coming back to make this journey with me._

_-Slingblade-_


	2. Chapter 2

_Welcome back all my bat/cat readers!_

_I was so glad to hear from all of you on the first chapter!_

_I wondered how many of you would still be carrying a torch for Bruce and Selina... you know how some fandoms fall apart when there is not much happening to keep the fires burning..._

_My flame still burns brightly in the Gotham night for these two lovers..._

_I was relieved to hear that all of you were sympathetic if not frustrated with Bruce and his fear of Selina returning to Gotham... He went through a lot with losing Rachel (or losing his idea of Rachel anyway) hopefully we can all bear with him while he figures things out with SK._

_Mer- I am still kicking around the Monte Carlo night one shot... don't give up on me :)_

_Tinatin- thanks for the great review(s)! I am glad you are feeling the Selina/Blake dynamic I think they will be lots of fun to write together when/if she gets back to GC. I love them giving each other grief! Glad you picked up the story I enjoy reading your take on the characters._

_Abelard- it will definitely need to be more than three chapters so you are gonna have to wait to get all that you want out of this story lol. I appreciate your need to get Selina back with Bruce where she belongs though!_

_Here is Chapter 2 for your enjoyment..._

_-Slingblade-_

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Bruce signed off on the last two contracts and shoved the completed documents into a red intra-company envelope. He glanced up as Fox entered his office. "Late night tonight Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce nodded, "When you have the opportunity to snare some of the most prime real estate in Gotham for penny's a square foot it makes it worthwhile to stay a little later."

Fox looked less than thrilled with the acquisition because he knew what was behind the opportunity, "Who was it this time?'"

"Donovan Marketing Group." Bruce gave him a weary look as he fastened the string holder around the tabs securing the documents.

Lucius shook his head, "That's a big name for the city to lose. If they don't relo the employees it will mean another hundred or so people out of jobs."

Bruce shook his head, "They are taking only the top executives. Merging marketing with legal at the hub in Detroit." Bruce shook his head, _"Detroit_." He said the city's name as if it carried a repugnant taste, " Apparently that is only other city in America where real estate and unemployment is still worse than in Gotham."

Lucius slipped his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose, "So the workers stay, and the jobs go. That doesn't exactly make things better, does it?"

Bruce shook his head as he slid the documents across the desk. "We can't do much more without spreading WE dangerously thin." He shook his head and drummed his fingertips on the desk. "Hell we have barely recovered financially from the pinch I put us in."

Fox sat down in the chair across from his employer, "I hardly think you can blame yourself for the actions of Talia and her trade scandal. That being said, Mr. Wayne I don't entirely disagree with your assessment of the shop's current financial situation." He folded his glasses and slipped them into the breast pocket of his navy suit jacket before resting his chin casually in the palm of his hand. "Although... I have always thought it might behoove us to have an innovative marketing and public relations team at our disposal. Lord knows with the things you have pulled in the past we could have used some people with a flair for spinning the media."

Bruce leaned back in his chair and smiled grimly at the ceiling, "I was just buying the building, Lucius. Are you suggesting to me that we keep the Donovan creative team on payroll?"

Fox's soft smile never faltered as he looked at Bruce, "I have asked you before Mr. Wayne to not to take me for a fool. I know exactly what you had in mind when you inked those contracts."

Bruce snorted a humorless laugh and rolled his head against the leather headrest to face his CEO, "Do you think _me_ a fool Lucius?"

Fox's smile broadened, "At times. But, not today, not about_ this_ decision anyway." He watched Bruce's eyes fall to the framed photo of Selina that sat on his desktop and he couldn't help but shake his head.

_Fox had taken the photo of her as she was standing against the railing at the restaurant atop the island of Corsicana. She was an absolute vision in that cream dress with the coffee-colored stripes snaking around her slender body. She had damn near knocked me dead when she had walked into Alfred's kitchen wearing it that morning._ _But there, with the ocean at her back and the breeze in her hair, she was positively breathtaking. Lucius had sat the framed photo on my desk with an unapologetic smirk the week I got back to Gotham. Before I could even protest he had told me he was acting under orders from Selina. She had told him set it where I would be forced to look at it all day everyday. He made it clear that it was her wish that I should suffer accordingly. Fox also warned me that the penalty of taking it down would result in my walls being papered with poster-sized reproductions._

Bruce sighed and then directed a benign scowl toward his CEO, understanding full well that Fox thought him an incredible fool over abandoning, Selina. "I never did thank you for that photograph, Lucius. Nothing quite like a reminder our little misadventure there on the island."

Fox took the jab in stride; "I suspect you might not mind too much remembering her in that dress though?" Bruce raised his brows at his insinuation and Fox just chuckled and lifted his hands in mock surrender. "Just an educated guess, Mr. Wayne. I could tell that you seem particularly fond of that..designer."

Bruce stood and gave the photo of Selina another long look as he shouldered on his dusky grey suit jacket over his wrinkled white shirt. He adjusted the sky blue silk tie snuggly around his throat, "Mr. Fox why don't you put that educated mind of yours to better use and figure out how to keep the hundred and sixty-four people from Donovan on payroll when neither of us knows jack about marketing."

Fox stood and stretched his back, "I will get right on that, Mr. Wayne."

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Bruce reached the parking garage and discovered with mild annoyance that Alfred had again arranged for him to be driven home by a backup driver. Today it was a thirty something blonde man that introduced himself as _Geoff_ with a _G_. This was the fifth time in three weeks a backup had been utilized to drive him home. Bruce accepted the courtesy of the open door and sat back into the rear of the limousine. He huffed at the dark interior of the Cadillac, not caring for the ostentatiousness of the vehicle and not at all caring to be driven by anyone other than himself or Alfred.

He smirked to himself as he realized he had not minded too much when Selina took the wheel on occasion._ It damn sure put me on the edge of my seat when she did_. Then he did smile, but that quickly faded as the limo pulled abruptly away from the curb and Bruce had to catch himself to avoid colliding with the door. He frowned as he was left wondering exactly where Alfred had been spending his afternoons.

He slid out a portable laptop from the compartment beside his knee and settled back into the deep leather chair. A slight jolting as the driver braked to a quick stop renewed his irritation at Alfred's absence. Bruce linked into the computer servers in the Batcave and ran a trace on the GPS beacon in the Benz. A few seconds later the tracking icon blinked its location on the map. He reentered the vehicle id and again the small blue dot again appeared over Wayne Manor. He squinted down at the display and confirmed that he had not accidentally entered a drop point at the server center, the readout showed clearly that Alfred's position was currently at Wayne Manor.

Bruce considered for a moment telling Geoff with a G to drive him out there. He had not seen the property since his arrival back to Gotham and he was overdue a trip to his old homestead. Truthfully, he had not really had the time for sentimental social calls and furthermore had not wished to cause any disruption for the kids at the facility. He thought of Blake and a small smirk curved his lips. _That would be all I need anyways, another street-smart kid marking me as the Batman._

He tried to imagine what would have drawn Alfred out to the Manor and he came up blank unless it was to tend to his parents gravesites or assist in some charitable capacity. _Alfred had been shouldering all of my social responsibilities since my return. He had mentioned in passing that there was a function being held in a few weeks… something about a rededication of Tom and Martha's. _Bruce shifted uncomfortably in the seat. _Alfred knows I hate social events like that, but he had made it clear that there was no way out of it for me. He had been kind enough to reassure me that the guest list was very short and that the press would be not reporting the event. With the Joker still on the loose Gotham's socialites had been keeping low profiles lest they draw undo attention to themselves. I would be damned if I would make Tom and Martha's a target just for a function to honor me of all people._

Bruce shut his eyes and willed himself not to think of Selina on his arm dressed to the nines walking through the halls of his childhood home. That was a complete failure as a the memory of her in that microscopic gold dress leapt forward in his mind. Trying not to think of her was like trying to tell yourself not to think of elephants. Suddenly that was all that filled your brain. Elephants. African elephants… circus elephants… elephants in short damn designer dresses... freaking elephants everywhere.

He growled in annoyance and opened his eyes glaring down at the computer. He tapped the computer screen as he focused thoughtfully on the GPS marker for the car and then dropped his hand to the keys and entered a different tracking number. The map flashed and a satellite-linking icon appeared as the screen loaded. The GPS dot dropped down on the Pennyworth residence in Florence. Bruce pulled up the past weeks activity and a maze of green lines appeared as the tracking records for the pearls appeared on the monitor. He noted multiple trips to the farmers market, the university, travel to the canal and several local museums. There were extensive routes to various shops and cafes throughout Florence. _Selina was evidently making the most of her time in Italy._

He frowned as his finger tapped the beacon, "I would love to be the one taking you those places. I promise Selina, I will make it up to you when this is all over." He picked up his phone suddenly overwhelmed with the need to hear her voice. He looked at the display and hesitated. _It would be nearly one in the morning her time. It wouldn't be the first time either of us had reached out to the other with a desperation phone call._

She had called just last week while he was in the middle of a meeting with representatives from the pentagon discussing weapons contracts. His phone had rung and he had held up a finger and halted the presentation while he answered her call. He made no bones about where his priorities lay when he had answered his cell in front of the joint chief of staff with the greeting of, "Good evening darling." The men and women surrounding the table had shared mystified looks at the personal call; Fox had even raised an eyebrow as he watched Bruce for an indication on how they were to proceed.

Bruce could not have cared less what the reaction was to the interruption. Selina never called during meetings, she made it a point not to in fact. Alfred sent out three copies of his calendar after they finalized it in the mornings, one to Fox's assistant, one to Bruce's mobile and one to Selina Kyle. She was nothing if not respectful of his itinerary and his time. If she was calling, there was a reason for it. She had apologized immediately after he answered and even tried to let him go saying she knew that he was busy, that she had just needed to hear his voice. He had not been willing to leave it at that. He had looked over at Fox and received a nearly imperceptible nod before he stood and made his way out of the conference room.

Fox looked up at the young man giving the presentation and indicated that he should continue. He had hesitated for a moment and then asked if they shouldn't wait for Mr. Wayne to return. Fox just smiled and let him know that business of a more urgent nature had presented itself and that they would have to muddle through the remainder of the conference without Mr. Wayne.

Bruce ducked into an empty meeting room as he assured Selina that she had not interrupted anything of consequence. Sitting on a ledge under the windows, he loosened his tie and discarded his jacket, watching the sun dipping lower in the horizon he asked her to tell him what had her so unsettled. She reluctantly told him that she had just woken from a dream and that she couldn't let go of the feeling something had happened to him. He had spent the better part of an hour talking quietly with her. Leaning casually back against the window like a man who had nothing more in the world to do than talk to the woman he loved.

That was how Fox's assistant found him when he opened the door to set up the room for a staff meeting. He had quietly backed out and shut the door gently as not to disturb the owner of Wayne Enterprises. He then dutifully stationed himself outside the door and redirected the reporting executives to an alternate venue.

Bruce would not let her apologize for taking him away from work and he scolded her when she said she was embarrassed to have made such a womanly production over a dream. He told her that he loved her and that he missed her and they ended the call with her having promised him that she would call anytime she wanted regardless of his schedule. After they had finished, Bruce sat there for a long while more as he thought again about the decision to return to Gotham. At that moment he hated himself more for the choice he made then he had since he told her goodbye in Florence. He hated himself because he had heard the threads of fear in her voice and he had not been there to comfort her.

He looked down at his phone as the limousine crept along in traffic and he forced himself not to dial her number. He was not going to allow himself to wake her just to appease himself_. Fuck I deserve to feel this way. I made this choice for us. _Bruce held the phone tighter and tried to settle his nerves. The driver accelerated too quickly from a stoplight and Bruce was pressed back into the cushions of the plush leather seat. He glowered toward the front of the vehicle as his mood slipped even darker. Then he did use the phone. He punched the contact number for Alfred Pennyworth.

X

Blake didn't look a gift horse in the mouth when Bruce breezed in the penthouse and informed him that he had the night off. Blake had nearly fell to his knees and kissed Wayne's gleaming leather wingtips grateful for a reprieve from the exhaustive training. Instead of genuflection though, he had just stood there in shock, unsure of exactly what to do with his unexpected freedom.

Ace had no such hesitation in his actions; the dog jogged happily up to Bruce, his nails clicking lightly against the scraped wood floor. He accepted a gruff greeting from Wayne that included a ruffle of the hair on it's neck and a quiet request for a security report on the status of the penthouse. The dog sat and gave a short sharp bark to which Bruce grunted in apparent approval before patting the dog's smooth head. Ace squinted his eyes shut and a look best described as bliss adorned it's scared face at the small gesture of affection from the master of the house.

Bruce looked up and fired a question at Blake, "Where is, Alfred?"

Blake looked blankly back at him as if it never occurred to him to wonder anything about Alfred's comings and goings. He stammered out an, "I don't know," which seemed to escalate Bruce's annoyance exponentially. So much so, that he reached for his phone presumably to call for the eta of his wayward butler.

Alfred entered the penthouse right as his mobile began to ring. Bruce looked up, and then peered down at his watch as if more notice needed to be made of Alfred's late arrival, "What exactly am I paying you for today, Alfred? It certainly wasn't for chauffeuring me home."

Alfred snorted at the attempted rebuke and continued into the kitchen, the smell of food wafted from the bags he carried along with him. "Presently you are compensating me for providing your dinner and tolerating your deplorable company, Master Wayne."

Blake bit back a laugh and turned his interest from the employee/employer drama to the more exciting prospect of food. Bruce looked at him like he had slipped a link in his mental drive chain when he made to follow them into the kitchen. Blake hesitated, watching Bruce's face for a clue on how he should proceed. Bruce gave him an incredulous look, "Your one night off and you are going to spend it here eating takeout?"

Blake shrugged as he walked in after Bruce, "What else would I do?"

Alfred looked up from the counter where he sat the bags, "Perhaps Master Wayne expects you to panhandle on the street and then go buy your own Moo Shoo pork?"

Blake stilled, his spine straightening as he watched for Bruce's reaction. Wayne looked between Alfred and him and then back to Alfred again before his found his voice, "What is_ that _supposed to mean?"

"That means Master Wayne that while you are doing your best to save Gothamites from financial ruin and homelessness you are in fact driving your young pupil straight to that very demise. So unless you intend to put master Blake on the Wayne Enterprise payroll soon you should well expect that he will be taking all of his meals with us or chance him not being able to eat at all."

Bruce exhaled hard, his anger further exacerbated by Alfred's accusation of neglect. Blake could tell it had never occurred to the über rich mogul that he had not been working and therefore had not been earning wages. Independent wealth was likely to blind a man to incidental details like forty-hour work weeks and minimum wage rates. The expression on Wayne's face made it clear that he was both irritated and embarrassed to have left him in a financial bind.

Blake was momentarily upset with Alfred for calling Bruce out the way he had. Wayne obviously cared about people. You could take one look and see everything he had done to pull Gotham out of the crapper since he had been back and know that. If that wasn't enough, one need only to go ask the miners digging this very minute below Gotham and ask their opinion of him. Bruce Wayne was practically a deity as far as they were concerned. Knowing all of that about Bruce, Blake was quick to come to his defense. "Hey, look its no big thing. I –"

Wayne held up his hand and cut him off. "I'm sorry, Blake. That shouldn't have gotten by me." His voice was quiet and hard as iron. Blake could tell that through the calm façade that Bruce was monumentally pissed. He chanced a glance over at Alfred and noticed that the old Butler seemed upset as well.

Alfred paused as he was unloading the food, "I too owe you an apology, Master Blake. When one becomes accustomed to a life of privilege as we have you forget sometimes the struggles of others. Luckily for you, Ms. Kyle has a fresher memory of such things." Blake and Bruce both looked at Alfred then. His blue eyes dropped to the bags and he finished unpacking the containers of Chinese food; lifting the last three out individually by the wire hangers before wiping his hand on a cloth and reaching into his jacket pocket. He produced an open envelope with an international postmark and handed it to Blake.

Blake looked inside and found a check that had been issued by Wayne Enterprises to Selina endorsed over to him. A small note to Alfred accompanied it. Blake read it silently.

-_Alfred_

_This arrived for me. I assume it is compensation for the position Bruce and Fox had spoken to me about as the director of the security division at WE. Well as we can all see- that is a capacity in which I am not currently serving. I do however believe that since Robin has managed to stay alive up to this point in his training he has likely done enough to warrant a paycheck for his efforts._

_Make sure he takes it Alfred. The kid is rolling near a negative balance in his accounts and his charge card is maxed. Oh and Alfred… see that Wayne pulls his head out of his ass and takes care of his protégé better in the future would ya?_

_Hope you are doing well, Sir Alfred. I miss you._

_Love_

_SK_

_p.s._

_Sig and I are having lunch at your café. The staff says to tell you Buon giorno!_

Behind the note was a detailed drawing of Sigmund with several smiling men who Blake deduced were waiters at the café. They were standing in front of a stone terrace holding up wine bottles and glasses. He could see the faint outlines of a bridge behind them. Alfred stepped around the counter and took the picture from his hand, "If you don't mind master, Blake I should like to hold on to this."

Blake nodded and made to pocket the other items before Wayne caught a look at the contents. Unfortunately, the man in question was already pulling said items from his grasp. His green eyes flicked over the uncashed check and then bore a veritable hole into the paper as he read her note. Bruce glared wordlessly over at Alfred when he finished.

Alfred handed Blake a wooden serving tray that held five of the white cartons along with several bottles of water, a blue PowerAde and silverware. Blake accepted it and looked at Alfred questioningly. _The fact Alfred had brought home take out and then served it still in the containers was beyond out of character for the proper butler. Bruce giving me the night off was also unheard of... this entire evening is mystifying my mind..._

Alfred patted him on the shoulder, "I'm beyond fatigued tonight, Master Blake. I'm afraid you are going to have to rough things out for yourself a bit." Alfred pulled the payroll check from Wayne's hand and dropped it on the tray between the food cartons before giving Blake a weary smile, "Bon Appétit, Master Blake."

Blake nodded in silence and took the tray moving quickly to get clear of the blast radius, as Bruce looked ready to go thermonuclear at any moment. He almost made it to the door of the kitchen before Bruce's voice reached him. "You will have a WE bank card and payroll account set up by morning. Any outstanding balances on your credit will be settled and cleared by the end of the business day. Let me know if you want to keep your Mustang or upgrade into something else."

Blake froze at the door not knowing if he should answer now or just utilize his new Ninjutsu skills and try to disappear into the wall, "I uh think I will just keep the 'stang. It's almost paid for anyways."

Bruce continued to face Alfred as he spoke, "As of now, its paid for."

Blake swallowed and then followed his original instinct and disappeared, leaving Alfred to deal with the surly master of the house. As he sat down in front of the TV to eat, he took a closer look at the check and all of the zeros before the decimal point and nearly choked on his orange chicken.

He heard the muffled arguing between Bruce and Alfred in the kitchen and looked down at the dog by his side, "Ace buddy, I don't know what Alfred's check looks like but it should be double this just for his ability to handle Bruce." Blake turned up the volume on the television and tried not to feel guilty about abandoning poor Alfred. The dog looked at the door of the kitchen and whined. Blake shook his head, "I would keep my nose out of it, pup. That is above our pay grade."

Bruce and Alfred stared at one another both obviously annoyed and exhausted. Alfred opened the remaining containers of food and sat them unceremoniously on the counter between them. His only attempt at redeeming the meal from its origins as takeout was to provide folded cloth linens and actual metallic forks in lieu of the paper napkins and plastic picnic ware that were included. "Consider this a buffet, Master Wayne. I am officially taking the evening off."

Alfred turned and walked to the wine rack where he selected a semi sweet Riesling Sauvignon Blanc to accompany the Asian fare. Bruce's hand stopped his before he could gather the corkscrew out of the utensil caddie. Alfred inclined his head and Bruce silently took the tool and opened the wine as Alfred gathered a single glass, wiping clean the crystal goblet with a cloth.

Bruce poured as Alfred took a seat on a stool at the counter, helping himself to one of the food containers. He acquiesced when Bruce sat the glass lightly down in front of him, "You will have to forgive my tardiness and the quality of your evening meal tonight, Bruce. Time got away from me this afternoon I'm afraid."

Bruce sat down next to his butler silently taking up one of the take out cartons of Chinese food. He glanced at the red dragon emblazoned on the side and his brow furrowed as he recognized it as a Japanese rendering with the three toes and slender snakelike body instead of the full-bodied five-toed dragons indicative of Chinese lore. He shook his head at the amateur oversight of the restaurant, hoping their attempt at replicating Chinese food was better than their apparent knowledge of oriental art. Fortunately for he and Alfred from the taste of the Szechuan beef it seemed excellent by Americanized standards.

They ate in silence until Bruce finally spoke, "When I called earlier you said you were out at, Tom and Martha's?" Bruce forced himself not to look at Alfred as he waited for his response.

"Yes, I was."

Alfred offered no more than that so Bruce turned and fixed him with his calm knowing eyes, "Is there something you need to tell me, Alfred?"

Alfred met his gaze with a small smile, "You know then."

Bruce had done some more digging on the GPS records after their terse, unproductive conversation on the phone and found that Alfred had been out to the Manor nearly every day since their return to the states. He spent his entire afternoon there most days in fact. A quick search on public records showed no fewer than four separate building permits issued at that address to various contractors employed by Ginger Fox construction.

Knowing all of this Bruce was still forced to shake his head at Alfred's assumption that he _knew_ what was going on. Bruce studied the contents of the food carton in his hand rather than meet his butlers gaze, "I know you have been spending an inordinate amount of time at Tom and Martha's. I know that Fox has contractors working out there. Multiple crews of them. What I don't know, Alfred... is why."

The old butler shook his head and a smile played around his lips, "Truly I never would have believed that it would have taken you this long to uncover our little ruse. Your mind has most assuredly been elsewhere, Master Wayne."

Bruce sat the food container back on the dark granite countertop and fixed Alfred with a tired look that said he really was not going to tolerate being kept in the dark much longer. "I assure you it is nothing that warrants such a look of apprehension and dread from you, Master Bruce." Alfred nudged an untouched container toward him, "Kung Pao beef with extra peppers. Eat, while it is still warm."

Bruce glanced down at the container of spiced meat and took it reluctantly, "What should I have figured out by now, Alfred? Besides the fact that I've been unintentionally bankrupting John Blake."

Alfred smiled into his wine glass before taking a sip, "It appears that commissioner Gordon and the officials of Gotham have in their minds to show their gratitude for your tireless support of the city. They intend to turn the keys to Wayne manor back over to you, Bruce. I was out today making the final decisions on the placement of furnishings and art." Alfred sipped his wine as Bruce processed the information and then he added as an afterthought, "You will have to forgive the obvious Italian influences of the new decor, Master Wayne. Due to my inability to fully recover your old furnishings a large number of items had to be replaced. Most of those were procured by the missus and flown in directly from Italy. By default a distinctly Mediterranean feel was largely… unavoidable."

Bruce had stopped chewing as he listened in shocked disbelief. Alfred gave him a guarded look, "Before you get your kickers twisted over this, Bruce... know that Jim intended this as a thank you for what you have done both as a leader in Gotham and as the Batman. I should hope you will act both gracious and honored when he returns the Wayne estate back to you in a few weeks." Alfred took a bite of Lo Mein in an effort to stop his mouth from finishing the thought which included the fact that he was revealing the surprise early because he believed that Bruce would have been neither of these had he been caught off guard by the commissioner's well intended kindness.

Bruce finally swallowed the food in his mouth, "I suppose I am to act surprised as well?" He sat the food container on the counter and stood, walking stiffly around the island bar to the refrigerator where he located a pitcher of iced tea.

Alfred's voice followed him, "Not necessary on your part I assure you. Jim never believed we would get to the dedication without you having discovered his plans. He had given me carte blanche on when and how to bring you to terms with things. His only request was that I do so in a manner that, I quote _would leave him with as much ass as possible after you were informed_."

Bruce barked out a laugh as he gathered a glass and poured unsweetened tea over ice. He hesitated as he lifted the glass to his lips, "What about the kids?"

Alfred smiled never having doubted that Bruce's mind would go immediately to their need. "They are to be housed permanently at the dormitories of the old Catholic University near St Swithins. Bruce's unhappy grimace at the mention of the abandoned university spurred on Alfred's quick explanation. "The rooms being utilized now have already been refurbished and restored to the highest of standards, I assure you. I toured them myself before the first child was relocated. The remaining forty-five units in the boys dormitory are under construction presently."

Bruce looked at Alfred closely, "You have been working on this since we got back." Bruce stated it obviously in awe of the elder man.

Alfred shook his head, "Since well before we left for Switzerland in fact, Master Wayne. Mr. Gordon called me the day after Christmas with the idea. It has been quite the little side project the past few months I assure you." He offered up the last remnants of broccoli beef and when Bruce declined Alfred dipped in his fork and speared a floret, "It would have been quite an impossible feat without help from the Missus and Mr. Geller respectively. They are quite a formidable combination when it comes to color and decor, but one should expect that from artists I suppose."

Bruce's eyes softened as he realized the extent to which they all must have all gone to work this out. Alfred, Gordon, and Fox coordinating on this end, Selina and Sigmund contributing all the way from Italy. He dropped his head and sipped the amber liquid, "How does it look?"

Alfred shook his head and twirled the delicate wine stem between his fingertips, " The remodel has exceeded all expectations. The manor is as stately and grand as she ever was, Master Wayne. But it has warmth now...a character and functionality it didn't have after we rebuilt her." Bruce did not miss the emotion in his butler's blue eyes, "For the first time since your mother's passing, Wayne manor feels alive again."

Bruce shut his eyes, "Thank you for preparing me, Alfred. I might not have handled it well otherwise." Bruce leaned on the counter as he spoke still trying to wrap his mind around the entire thing. It was beyond him how Jim Gordon had pulled this off. He had never even fathomed a scenario that would have brought it back to his possession.

His brows furrowed. _With the city in such a financial bind, how had Gordon managed to secure a building the size of St Margaret's for the kids? Even abandoned the land alone was worth a fortune. The old architecture of the buildings were all that had saved it from demolition as the preservation societies had been embroiled against adventure capitalists to stave off commercial development that threatened the future of the historic buildings._

Bruce asked Alfred about the status of the dorms trying to ascertain how he might be able to assist with the new facility. Alfred admitted that he was not aware of all of the details just that the land had been donated by the city and the dorms were the first structure to be remodeled from privately donated funds. Bruce caught the word usage, "The first? Implying what? Other buildings on site are to be renovated as well?"

Alfred nodded, "Oh yes, Mr. Wayne. The entire complex in fact. It seems whatever private funding they received was enough to revitalize the dormitories, and then Federal funds were obtained. The campus is small, as you well know, but the proposed refurbishment will have it back to all of its former glory. Well within the restoration guidelines of the historical society as well, not that anyone is organized in the city enough to care about such things at this particular juncture. Eventually it will matter that the original architecture of the buildings were salvaged; with the destruction of the church on Piedmont Street, St Margaret's is now the oldest structure left in Gotham city."

Bruce looked questioningly at Alfred, "What do they intend to do with the campus?"

Alfred smiled, "Per federal directives, funds are to be used to turn it into a Collegiate Preparatory school and Vocational Technical College. Restorations on the library and women's dormitories are already well underway." He gave Bruce an understanding look, "It is not at all surprising that the construction failed to capture your attention sooner, Master Wayne. With the entire city under some form of reconstruction or repair this project is fairly insignificant in the grand scheme of Gotham's recovery."

Bruce smirked, " I suppose it helped me not to notice the work being done when you stopped talking Bridgeport parkway past it on our commute to the office in the mornings?"

Alfred chuckled at having been called out on his deception, "That too, sir."

x

Bruce checked the luminescent dial on his watch and calculated the time difference to Florence. _She should be waking for her run about now_. He pulled his phone out from under his pillow and smiled as the display lit: _Incoming call: Selina Kyle _The caller id picture was one he had taken of her sleeping on his chest as they lay together on a chaise lounge on Alfred's balcony. His finger traced the sharp line of her chin. _She was too thin. I hope she is eating right. Without Alfred there, force-feeding her there was no telling. _

He flicked his thumb and picked up the call. He heard the line connect and wasn't surprised when she didn't speak, she often didn't. They both sat in silence as the endless distance between was bridged for a moment by Wayne Satellite Technology. It was not a battle of wills that kept them from speaking; it was that just that they didn't need to. Bruce shook his head as he realized again, how in tune she was with him, "I can't stop thinking of you Selina." His voice was a raspy whisper.

There was a long pause before she responded, "Is that good or bad?"

Bruce rubbed his brow as he laid back on the bed, "Both I guess. Looking at that damn picture of you on my desk is torture." Her low laugh stirred butterflies in his stomach and he tried not to be angry at how helpless he was to control himself when it came to her. "It seems every time I turned around today your name was in my ear."

Selina asked the question again more tentatively, "Hummm..That good or bad?"

Bruce shook his head and smiled, "Both." His smile faded as he felt her apprehension, "You could have just texted me about Blake, Selina. There wasn't a need to make it sting."

"Yeah well seeing that paycheck stung me, Bruce." Her words carried her anger. "Especially knowing I had done less than nothing to earn it as I serve my exile here in Italy."

He shut his eyes and absorbed the cut from her sharp tongue. He recovered himself and tried to lighten the mood between them. "You might have wished you kept that check, I hear you and Sigmund have been on quite the shopping spree outfitting our house."

Selina chuckled, "Cat's out of the bag on that finally, huh? Well, not to worry, Bruce. I've still got a few bucks tucked away for a rainy day. I haven't had to dip into the Wayne trust fund just yet."

Bruce felt himself bristle slightly at that. He wasn't sure if it was because she basically told him stolen money was outfitting their house or because she made a point of not using _his_ money. His eyes slid open and he studied the fan spinning slowly around on the ceiling above him. "Jessica's ill-gotten gains still tiding you over are they?"

Selina chuckled, "Something like that."

Bruce refused to allow himself to be baited into an argument with her. "Despite how you are funding it, I like the idea of you picking the things that are going into our home, Selina."

She was quiet on the other end of the line, "You do? Well Sigmund actually deserves most of the credit. He has completely lived up to the stereotypical role of a gay decorator. I turn him loose with a line of credit and all I have to do is drink wine and reel him in when he gets too far out of bounds." Bruce's smile faltered with her next sentence, "You will have to tell me how it all came together when you tour it at the dedication."

Bruce realized then that he would be attending the ceremony without her. He would be walking through a house she had decorated... that was supposed to be theirs... without her at his side. His voice hardened as he locked down on the emotion. _This was no time to lose my focus,_ "There's still no sign of him, Selina. No sightings." The implication was there, _It still isn't safe for you here, Selina._

Another long pause on her end, "You should tell Gordon to get someone down to the Bowery. There is a lot of information to be had if he has the right person in there. The Joker will be needing personnel and weapons. Crown Point could be where he goes to make some contacts. Someone there might have a line on him."

Bruce tried not to let his voice waver, "I used to know a woman that could waltz right into a place like that and come out with all the answers." He shut his eyes as he imagined her doing just that.

Selina volleyed back, "I know that chick. A natural badass broad if I am remembering her right. Let me know if you wise up and decide to admit you need her help."

_The invitation was there all I have to do is tell her to come and she would be here. She was pretty pissed though; she would probably make me beg. _Bruce sighed and lay back against the pillows of his bed, his hand rearranged himself as his body was making him painfully aware of exactly how much _it_ too was missing Ms. Selina Kyle.

Selina's voice was a low whisper when she finally broke the silence; "You fall asleep on me, Boy Scout?"

Bruce sighed as he imagined her hands in his hair and shook his head. Goose bumps rose on his skin and he shivered at the thought of her touch. "No kitten, I'm not sleeping. I haven't been sleeping much at all lately."

Her disapproval was obvious as she clucked her tongue and growled low in her throat, "Alfred told me that when I talked with him last. What am I going to do with you handsome?"

Bruce slipped his hand into his sweat pants and gave into the aching need. "Tell me kitten what _would_ you do with me?"

She chuckled knowingly and practically purred in to the receiver, "Well I damn sure wouldn't let you touch yourself like you are doing right now that's for sure."

Bruce smiled and his low laugh mingled with hers. "You aren't here to stop me darling. Besides… this is all I have. Just your voice and my hand." The afore-mentioned hand stroked him now as he listened to her breath quicken. He pulled himself over the elastic waistband of his fleece joggers and shut his eyes imagining himself inside her as he listened to her voice.

"Believe me handsome you wouldn't want your hand in the way tonight. I can still remember how good you taste… how you felt against my lips… like soft velvet over rock hard steel." Bruce groaned as his hand increased the speed and pressure as he pursued his release.

Selina talked and teased him until he was panting into the receiver. She had asked him to wait twice already telling him to slow down and control himself, that she deserved him to wait until she said he could finish. _Jesus if it hadn't been the sexiest thing ever when she denied him … when she made him wait._

Now she did have him begging her. She promised that he could finish if he told her what he was thinking of to bring himself off, "Tell me Bruce. What is it?"

He gasped as he felt himself drawing up, his orgasm was imminent, " You…. you laid over the Tumbler in applied sciences. Jesus, Selina." His voice barely able to grind out the words, " You in that leather skirt bent over for me. Legs spread … me taking you hard over the hood. God I dream about it at night… your white skin against the dark metal. Its too much. Selina, let me baby. I need to..."

"Almost … almost," she panted back as he struggled to hold on.

_Fuck this was all my fault. I deserve this... to be strung out like this… for choosing to leave her. _Sweat was beading on his skin as he pressed back against the pillows, "Please, Selina. Please." He heard her soft gasp and he recognized the sound immediately. _She was coming. Goddamnit … oh sweet baby. She had been touching herself while she was getting me off._ His stomach clinched painfully, "Now Selina. I've got to…now… now."

"Then go ahead, handsome. Come for me."

He did immediately. The force of his orgasm was so strong it was nearly painful. He had not experienced such a desperate climax since their first night together. Her soft laugh taunted him through the phone as his body contracted repeatedly, "I should have made you wait for me to have another. One with you is never enough."

Bruce panted as he listened to her voice, the space around him melted until it was only the two of them. The connection with her obliterated the miles between them and all the nonsense external to their relationship seemed incidental. He thought of their little game in applied sciences and smiled. _Jesus she was a witch. That was the only explanation. She was a witch and she had me completely spellbound and powerless against her._ His hands shook as he toweled himself clean, "Tell me what you were thinking of, Selina."

Her voice was low and sensual when she spoke, "Monte Carlo. Bruce…it keeps me up nights just thinking about it."

He exhaled and his hands clutched the soiled towel. _Come to Gotham. I want you here with me. I need you here. I should have never let my fear get in the way of what we have. I need you in my life… in my bed_. All of the words died on his lips and he exhaled a frustrated breath.

Selina sighed, "I miss you, Bruce."

Bruce groaned, "I miss you too Selina, more than you know."

"Bruce this is ridiculous. There is no telling how long he will be underground. Are we going to just let him keep us apart indefinitely?"

Bruce felt his shoulders sag and his head dropped back against the headboard that supported him, "Not indefinitely, Selina."

"With the pillow next to me empty night after night it feels pretty indefinite, Bruce."

Her voice held annoyance, but not sadness and he was grateful for that. As he stared up at the ceiling and his body wound down from it's climax he thought more about the nights without her and suddenly their separation felt all to indefinite to him as well. "Please be patient with me, Selina."

She growled into the phone, "Awhile more Wayne. But, I'm telling you now... don't be surprised when I show up naked in your bed some night very soon. I've about had all of this separation I can stand. Joker be damned."

x

xx

_Selina is getting antsy and I don't blame her... Are any of you hating Blake any less yet?_

_ I am liking the Blake/Bruce /Alfred connection more than I ever thought I would... KLCthe bookworm... Blake finally got __paid ! I think you me and Selina were the only ones worried about him making ends meet!_

_What about stately Wayne manor getting returned to Bruce... Gordon found a way to give back to the man that has given everything to the city. Are you feeling it? Do you think Meghan will think it is a house worthy of Selina?_

_Haha..._

_Review and let me hear from ya!_

_-Slingblade-_


	3. Chapter 3

_Good afternoon Gothmites! Hope everyone is having a great start to the weekend. _

_Thanks for all of the reviews and suggestions for the story. I appreciate too everyone that hits me up on my Tumblr account as well. _

_I hope you enjoy the read_

_-Slingblade-_

x

xx

Bruce accepted Blake's extended hand as the younger man hefted him off the mat. He could not help but smile. It had been an intuitive mingling of Kung-Fu and Jujitsu offered in a fluid blended block and counterstrike that served to repel Bruce's own choice of a pure Muay Thai offensive. Blake was helpless not to grin himself as he proudly bowed and they resumed their sparing. Bruce considered taking Blake down a peg by escalating the lesson, but held himself back. _T__he kid has been training hard and he deserves to feel good about the maneuvers he just put together._

Bruce silently circled along the peripheral of the mat waiting for Blake to initiate as was per their fighting protocol. After absorbing an attack you were then expected to advance the next strike. Blake had a very noticeable tell that predicated his leg sweeps, Bruce had coached him on it repeatedly, but it was obvious now from the flinch of Blake's calf that his pupil had not heeded his warning.

Bruce braced for the sweep and nearly overbalanced when it did not come. Blake went high instead, hooking Bruce's shoulder, leveraging him into a hip toss. Bruce reacted automatically and countered with a spinning redirection that bound Blake into an ude-garami, a vicious keylock arm bar that he then effortlessly morphed into a shoulder lock. Blake was left tangled on the mat, panting in pain. Bruce held it for a few moments allowing Blake to discover for himself how inescapable the hold was before releasing him. They knelt facing one another and Bruce complimented him, "I see you have learned your lesson on shifting your weight before you strike. You knew I would be looking for it. You used my knowledge of your skills to disadvantage me. Very well done."

Blake rubbed his shoulder attempting to restore circulation to the appendage, "Funny… it didn't _feel_ very well done. Can you show me what you just did there?"

Bruce nodded and silently positioned their arms to recreate the move. Blake took notice of Bruce's grip and then recreated the hold on Wayne. When he finally locked it correctly, Blake realized the complexity of the move. _How Bruce had managed to get that slipped on me as we were falling toward the mat is beyond my comprehension. _He released Bruce and they practiced it until Wayne told him his shoulder couldn't tolerate the impingement anymore. Blake backed away apologetically and Bruce shook his head and summoned him back with a wave of his hand and a smirk, "The lesson isn't over Blake, you just need to switch sides."

Blake reproduced the move using Wayne's other arm until he had perfected the maneuver, deftly locking down on Bruce's shoulder rendering him immobile. Blake released him and accepted the nod that was given when he had finally performed a skill to acceptable standards. He remained kneeling and watched as Bruce gathered himself off the mat and walked nonchalantly over to the benches that lined the wall of the former ballroom turned dojo.

Blake peered down at himself and marveled at the knowledge that seemed contained in the simple flesh and blood of his hands. When he just shut off his mind and let his body react was when he performed his best. He flexed his fingers and watched as the corded tendons stood out on his forearms. Light bruises decorated his arms from countless collisions with bone, sinew and armor, but under the discolored skin was muscle, growing hard from hours of pushing weights and pushing the envelope as he worked as understudy to the Batman.

Sweat rolled down Bruce's bare back moistening the waste band of his black karate pant as he took several long pulls from his water bottle. He watched Blake as he recapped the lid. _The kid was coming along nicely. Whether he realized it or not he was becoming a force to be reckoned with. _Several of Gotham's nice crawlers had gotten a taste of him when they were out on maneuvers. Blake had dispatched the three street thugs without the slightest hesitation. Bruce had watched ready to join if he had needed him. He had not. When the last one fell, Blake had spun a quick circle as if anticipating more attacks. Bruce had smirked under his cowl. _After the nights of endless battles against me, those punks hadn't even been enough to get his heart rate up._

Bruce tossed the water bottle aside and cocked his head, "Feel like going over a few more locks?"

Blake nodded and then his brows rose as Alfred broke in unexpectedly, "Pardon the interruption gentleman. Mr. Gordon is here and he stated it was of the utmost importance that he speak with you both."

The men toweled off and threw on their respective shirts, a green GCPD hoodie for Blake and a nondescript charcoal grey Adidas tee for Wayne. They entered into the living area and Bruce could not help but glance around expectantly for Meghan. Gordon smiled tightly, reading the look on Bruce's face. "I'm afraid it's not a social call that brings me out today." He waited for Blake to arrive and shook his hand in greeting. "Looking good kid. Your training must be coming along well?"

Blake smiled at the compliment and nodded then his mood grew serious as he felt the commissioner's anxiety. "Everything ok with you, Commissioner?"

Gordon shook his head that it was not as he clasped his hands together and looked at Wayne as he spoke. "As per your suggestion Bruce, we put an undercover officer down in the Bowery. He glanced over at Blake, "Her remains were found this morning in a dumpster behind the 15th precinct." He now focused solely on Blake, "I'm sorry John. It was Bethany Kerr."

Bruce felt himself seize up as he watched for Blake's reaction, it was obviously someone he was familiar with from the way Gordon broke the news to him and how he now waited guarded for Blake's response to his terrible revelation.

Blake looked rocked, obviously taken aback by her death, "Wha- what happened? Do you have any idea?"

Gordon took a breath, "Most obvious thing would be that she got made as a cop. Somehow her cover was blown." Gordon looked down at his feet, "She was stabbed to death and dumped behind the patrol house. A drug task force officer found her this morning when his canine alerted on the dumpster. The MA gave out the preliminaries non officially so we could expedite the investigation."

Bruce fixed his eyes on Gordon as he read something in his mannerisms, "What else is there, Jim?"

Gordon looked again at Blake and he hesitated for a long moment, "There was mutilation to the body. Pre and post mortem."

Bruce centered his attention on the former police officer. Noting his pallid face, "John, maybe you should-"

"No." Blake interrupted, "I want to know what happened to her, "Commissioner, you said she was mutilated... did you mean beyond the stabbing?"

Gordon nodded, "There were… bites. The ME said they were too many to accurately estimate on the initial exam, he just confirmed they were human in origin."

Bruce watched as Blake turned away and faced out the window, "Jesus," was the young man's only response.

Gordon looked up at Bruce and shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks, "I don't know if Selina was on target with the Bowery being the Joker's recruiting grounds, but something terrible is damn sure happening down there. Officer Kerr's initial report contained information on illegal gambling and drug and prostitution rings that are being run out of business down there. She mentioned the possibly of some cops on the take as well."

Gordon swept his glasses off his face and polished them with a handkerchief before putting them back on. "I don't know if that's why they dumped her at the impound lot. Maybe to send a message, a warning possibly."

Bruce looked at Blake and saw the young man was still shaken looking blankly out over the city, so Bruce spoke for the both of them, "We will look into things ourselves, Jim. I'm sorry to hear that you lost an officer."

Gordon looked sharply up at him, "I have two more still down there, Bruce. I have no way of pulling them out, of warning them that they could be walking into a setup."

Blake turned back suddenly clear and needing answers, "Who? Who are they?"

Gordon shook his head in sympathy, "You wouldn't know them, Blake. These two were already deep undercover with the gang task force, long before Bane took control. They stayed under during the siege helping where they could until the city got back under control." Gordon gave Bruce a self-deprecating look, "It might be best for everyone that we don't have more intel on them, especially if there is a cop on the take selling out officers. As of right now only their handler knows who and where they are and believe me, that woman isn't talking. Not to me, not to anyone."

Bruce stepped forward, I will need everything you do have on them Jim, everything including the name of their handler. If she wont talk to you she might just be willing to talk to the Batman."

x

Bruce had wondered why Gordon had given him such a look of sympathy. He figured it out when he met the woman that was handling the two undercover officers. Bruce had to accept that there were people he couldn't intimidate and people he wouldn't try to intimidate. The elderly GPD retiree Margaret Gunter was a representative of both groups.

She was seventy if she was a day and she was full of enough spit and vinegar to rival old Alfred himself. Her long thin hair was pulled back in a loose bun and at first glance she looked like a kindly old librarian, but she had been on the front lines of Gotham law enforcement for decades. She was one of the first female officers to ever walk a beat in the city and she was years and miles beyond falling victim to intimidation or trickery. Blake had recounted her history to Bruce without ever having consulted the database. "I didn't realize she still worked for the department in any capacity, but from what I heard, she is a tough old broad."

Bruce used the direct approach. As her old car parked in front of her modest brownstone and she emerged lifting, a small bag of groceries out of the trunk he made himself visible in the low light of her porch. She faltered for a moment and then her hand slipped into her oversized purse, she had a handgun drawn out an instant later. He remained still and let her approach him. She was cautious but unafraid. _Tough broad indeed.._

"Look pal. You aren't the first punk I've seen put on a football helmet and run around the streets playing Batman. But you need to go play caped crusader somewhere beside my front porch or you'll likely get extra holes popped in your little get-up." Blake smiled as he watched from his hidden perch as the old woman drew down on Bruce and fearlessly called out the Batman.

Bruce didn't smile, but admiration filled his eyes. He used her name and told her that the commissioner was concerned with the safety of the officers under her care. He requested their names and locations offering to go in himself to extract them.

Margaret lowered her weapon, but she did not surrender. Instead she dug her heels in deeper and shook her head, "These kids didn't give up nearly a year of their lives to have their cover blown by a character in a cape swooping in to save the day when it don't need saving. They have jobs to do. Let them do em." She had approached him cautiously but she was close enough now that she realized she truly was in the presence of the Batman. Her tone changed from combative to nearly apologetic, "Now, they report every three weeks or so, I can give them any message you and Gordon need then. But that is the best I can do for you, son."

Bruce had not been surprised by her response; Blake and Gordon had both prepared him for it. He held a gloved hand out to her and she took it allowing him to assist her up the steps of her stoop. "There is a very real chance that police are involved, information was leaked, it has cost one police officer her life already. Your people could be next."

The woman steadied herself and looked at him sternly as she released his hand, "Dirty cops," Disgust was in her voice. "That is even more reason for them to stay put and figure out who's who. These two_ are _my responsibility and I take that _plenty_ serious. No one but me knows who they are and that is as safe as an undercover cop will ever be in Gotham City."

She looked hard into his eyes and Bruce had to hold himself steady trusting that she would see only the Batman and not the familiar face of Bruce Wayne. "There is a subculture at work up there that you can't understand. Outsiders never do. These two have spent everyday for a year living a lie to infiltrate into that network of degenerates and thieves. " They know the risks. Its what they signed on for. " She laid a hand on his armored arm, "You're not the only one that is fighting criminals in Gotham, even if it might feel that way sometimes. Now best you stand back, son and let them handle their business."

x

They had spent into the early morning hours hunting the Bowery and working the Point as Selina suggested. Blake worked from the southern most section west and Bruce from the east, meeting at the apex of the burrows.

Crown Point was the merge point of streets that represented a redistricting of the Bowery. It had been drawn with jagged edges and dramatic dips and juts that when inked in on a map resembled a tiara or crown. The district had been strategically drawn that way to avoid the black vote in Gotham's early racially charged elections. Eventually the entire area went so far down the dumpster that the only redistricting that would benefit a politician was one that could exclude the area entirely. By the time Gotham corrected the obvious affront to the political system the name Crown Point had attached itself to the area and became synonymous with poverty debauchery corruption and violence

The Bowery had always been crime ridden but Bruce had been surprised to hear Selina refer to it as '_scuz central'_ when he called her before heading out earlier that night. He had awoken her and she had sleepily answered with a mumble of sounds that didn't quite form actual words. When he mentioned the Bowery she had snapped awake. Bruce switched her to speaker and both he and Blake listened attentively as they suited up to hit the streets and she detailed out to them what she knew of the Bowery.

She called out several bars and their specialties be it drugs or women. She made some educated guesses at a few places they might try that had dealt in weapons and protection before. Blake asked her directly why she was being so vague about the names of the bars instead just going by location. She explained that the business there opened for a short while only to close and reopen under different names to avoid search and seizure warrants. "The name changes and relocations stymie criminal investigations. Right as the police began to build cases against the owners and establishments they closed and the process repeated itself." She yawned "The best thing to do is just circulate until you recognized the operators. Their game never changes they just migrate around the Bowery. Hit the places I suggested and I bet you find weapons getting dealt."

Blake waited for Bruce to tell her about the murderers and was surprised when he didn't. Selina was under the assumption that they were still going down there for the Joker. Hell they might be for all they knew. Blake tightened down the cowl on his face, the added padding helping with the slippage, but it had done nothing to remedy the claustrophobic restriction he felt when he put it on. He glanced over at Bruce as Selina was listing several names they should look into along with descriptions and aliases of the men that ran the bars last she knew. Blake started to ask a question about the MO of their suspect and Bruce's sharp look cut him off clean. Selina questioned it, "What was that Blake?"

Bruce interjected, "We have to go... now." He paused for a moment his finger poised over the button on his forearm that would deactivate the speaker.

"Yeah? Well, you're welcome for the help... assholes." She disconnected the line before Bruce was forced to do it himself.

Bruce gave Blake a warning look as he read the question on the young man's face, "I don't want her involved in this. "

The young man looked at him incredulously, "You just woke her out of bed and involved her, Bruce." He shook his head in disbelief, "You can't have things both ways you know." Bruce glared at him his eyes obviously daring him to finish his thought, Blake didn't back off, "You don't get to reap the benefit of her knowledge and then pretend you don't know how she came by it. She isn't a little princess in a castle, Bruce. She has been down in the dungeon with these bastards. She might know something that could lead us to the animal that killed a police officer. An officer I went through the academy with... a friend. Why wouldn't you give her the chance to help us?"

Bruce glared at him and when he spoke his voice was the icy rasp of the Batman, "I don't have to explain myself to you. Selina is to know nothing about the murders, Blake. Nothing."

x

Two nights later the body of a second woman was found slumped behind the wheel of an unmarked police unity in the Bowery. The bites on her neck so severe that individual marks just meshed into a bloody ring of gore. Blake looked at Bruce as they stood in the darkness and watched as the police processed the scene.

Gordon informed them later that it hadn't been one of his undercover officers but rather a vice squad detective from the inner precinct. They stood together on the roof of the MCU beside the darkened spotlight as Gordon briefed them. He looked down at the asphalt rooftop and shook his head, "I don't know what this is, but it's feels different... not at all like the Joker."

Blake and Bruce both nodded their agreement on that. Its violent and senselessness nature was nothing out of the Joker's wheelhouse, but it didn't feel like his typical crime. There was no grandiose message to the city, no personal call out to the Batman. This had a personal nature, but it was personal between the police and the killer. "This feels territorial, like a dog pissing on trees." Gordon's jaw worked as his thoughts tried to coalesce, "He made an example out of those police officers."

Bruce let his mind work on the crime scene, "I don't disagree with your take on it Jim... but the bites make it... more. They are personal against the women, done for their punishment and his gratification. You have a cop killer on your hands to be sure, but he is also a violent sadist. We need to figure out what his connection was to these women. They were women trained in self-defense and criminal apprehension, but he overcame their training and he killed them with confidence. He has doubtlessly killed before and he will only escalate in violence from here."

Blake and Bruce spent the remainder of the evening patrolling the Bowery. Moving along in the shadows until daylight reclaimed the city and they were forced to drop back and strategize a new response.

Alfred woke both Bruce and Blake at noon. Blake for his martial arts lesson and Bruce for his video conference call with Pepper Pots. Lucky for Bruce he had only to pull on a t-shirt and dial in for the private meeting. Pepper had chided him about a bachelors life and sleeping the days away before offering him a detailed breakdown of the progress made on the clean energy initiative.

Pepper sent both he and Fox a link to the report findings and signed off by scolding him on keeping late hours while his fiancée was away. She then asked him why the hell she was in Italy and why the news hadn't been broken on the Wayne engagement. Bruce had absorbed the barbs good-naturedly until he realized the way Pepper spun things it made it seem like he was hiding his engagement with Selina.

He hung up the phone and started an introspective soul search that ended at Alfred's side as he questioned his butler about Pepper's observations. Alfred had assured him that Selina was as private an individual as he and that she doubtlessly understood the need for discretion and that she likely thought nothing of the lack of fanfare surrounding their engagement. Alfred had him throughly convinced that he was tracking on course until his final statement, "Of course Selina Kyle is an exceptional woman in that regard Master Wayne. Any other lass that was proposed to, whisked away and then summarily abandoned in a foreign country might have a dampened spirit. Instead of crying into her pillow at night your misses is likely plotting murderous revenge. "

Bruce called Selina immediately and for the next hour she got to talk him down off his anxiety ridden ledge of guilt. She reassured him that she loved him and that she understood. She did tell him that all of that understanding came with an expiration date and if not for Alfred's correct assumption of her ability to entertain herself with revenge plots that she would have long since forced him to deal with his anxiety and face her inevitable return to Gotham.

Bruce growled at her threat and asked her again to be patient. He tried to entice her into a lighter conversation asking her how she had actually been spending her free time and was pained to hear her say that she was exploring the city's night life, dancing and club hopping. Bruce consoled himself that she was likely jerking his chain and that if she was out partying it was with Sigmund on her arm. Knowing it was a gay man accompanying her was shallow consolation when he was left imagining her dancing without him all long legs and short dresses. He resigned himself to the new hell into which she had just cast him and sighed in frustration.

She whispered softly to him, "If I was there I could help you with that headache of yours, Wayne. He smirked into the phone and didn't bother wondering how she knew he had the beginnings of a migraine, she could always tell.

He pressed his fingertips against the back of his skull, "Just knowing you are far and away from Gotham brings me all the relief I need."

Selina sighed and her mood shifted, " I'm done Bruce. This isn't going to work."

He froze at her words, his eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly in the bed, "What are you saying Selina?"

"Bruce you love Gotham and you love me. I haven't asked you to make a choice, but you are doing your damnedest to keep us separated from one another. We aren't women you have to choose between Bruce, but as I watch you spend night after night in the gritty city I'm starting to feel like the ugly girl out."

"Selina... "Bruce started in on damage control.

She broken in, "Bruce. I'm not finished." She paused to make sure he was listening and not still trying to offer up his consolations and platitudes. Satisfied he was going to stay silent she continued, her voice even and controlled. "I thought originally this was about the Joker and I tried to be understanding, but now I think its more than that. Its like you are trying to shield me away from everything. Protecting me from Gotham entirely."

She paused and Bruce could feel her organizing her thoughts choosing her words, " I think it really is more than the Joker now, Bruce. I think you look around that city and you don't want me anywhere near it, but you also realise that it is the only place you feel like you belong. I think you have seen so much of the dark side of Gotham that it's all you see anymore. The danger..the violence... the crime."

The ache in his head was prominent now but he prefered it to the pain promised by the dagger poised to drive into his heart. "What are you saying Selina? What are you driving at?"

"I'm saying Bruce, that I know about the killings." The silence stretched between them. "I have been waiting for you to tell me, to voluntarily include me in what you are going through and you haven't." Another pregnant pause, "That speaks volumes to me Bruce. It tells me that I'm right that it is more than the Joker. You are acting as if I need protection from everything now, even from the truth." She exhaled in frustration, "Its like when you heard the Joker's name it sent your protective mode into overdrive... And just a FYI, Bruce ... your protective tendencies were already pretty difficult to deal with before he escaped from Arkham."

He swallowed and held himself back from a rebuttal, Selina had the floor and she obviously wasn't finished talking. Her voice wavered as she continued, "So yeah, Bruce... Im done. I'm done coming in second to Gotham City."

What struck him more than the imagery she painted of Gotham as his trashy mistress was her statement... '_I am done.'_ He took a breath and held it. "Tell me we aren't over, Selina."

She didn't hesitate, he had to give her credit for that kindness. She could have let him suffer waiting for the kill stroke, but she didn't. "_Bruce, we will never be over._ But I _am_ _over_ this waiting game. _I'm done_ being the dutiful fiancée that tiptoes around your insecurities. I'm tired of waiting for you to come to your senses. That is not who I am, Bruce. It is killing me that you expect me to be this kind of woman... a fucking shrinking violet. Frankly, Bruce ... _You are pissing me off!_"

The phone line disconnected and Bruce was left with his neck in a noose and Selina's hand holding the rope. He tossed his phone on the floor at his feet and watched dispassionately as it skidded across the wooden slats. _I'm fucking this up...She is giving up on me..._

X

Blake and Alfred shared worried looks when Bruce didn't appear for dinner. Alfred went to check on him and reported to Blake that the master would not be joining them as he had been stricken with a migraine. Forty minutes later Bruce made a liar out of his dutiful butler. He emerged from his bedroom looking ragged but serviceable. Blake followed him with worried eyes as he finished off his dinner. Bruce looked at the plate of food and only narrowly managed not to drive heave at the thought of eating.

Alfred held himself back from offering help or scolding the master for having left the confines of his room. Bruce opened the cabinet in the kitchen and rifled through the contents until he found a new bottle of the pills Fox had supplied. He shook out four into his palm and downed them dry. "Blake, give me thirty minutes and we'll go. Blake accepted the timeline silently and continued to eat. Bruce pocketed the pill bottle in the black silk pajama bottoms he wore as he walked by Alfred he hung his head not willing to meet the old mans accusatory gaze as he knew a reprimand was inevitable.

Alfred followed him to the master suite where he prepared a shower and laid out the shaving implements for Bruce. He dimmed the lights in the bathroom and went to collect the master off his leather sitting chair. "Master Wayne," he touched his elbow lightly and was relieved when Bruce did not startle." Have a few sips of this to coat your stomach. Those pills will likely cause you upset if you don't have a bit of something in your stomach."

Bruce smiled at the care of his old butler and accepted the small carton of chocolate milk. Not as good as Alfred concocted, but not at all bad. Good enough that Wayne had purchased the company when it bankrupted a few years back solely to ensure that they kept manufacturing the naturally flavored milk. He was still taking a bath on the profit loss reports, but he the payoff for that was sitting cold in his hand. He sipped down the liquid as he rubbed at the base of his neck. "I'm screwing up Alfred." He tried focusing his blurry eyes on the milk carton and blinked hard trying to clear his vision.

Alfred sat on the arm rest best him, "It was a risky investment at best, Master Wayne."

Bruce looked up confused for a moment then realized Alfred was speaking of the milk manufacture. He shook his head, "No Alfred. Selina. I'm messing it up. She… cant take much more of this Alfred." Bruce shook his head and took another small sip of the milk, before his stomach rolled and he knew he couldn't handle anymore.

Alfred took the carton back from Bruce and watched him with fatherly concern, "She was a calculated risk as well Master Wayne. You need to have the same patience with her as you have in your other investments. You know a good thing when you see it Master Wayne. Trust the choice you made. Just don't lose sight of what it was about her that you fell in love with. Selina Kyle is not a fragile China doll that is to be set on a shelf to admire and collect dust. Bruce, having her sequestered in Italy is not loving her, she should be with you or you might as well not have her at all."

Bruce looked up at Alfred and felt the truth of his words. He asked himself again if loving him was worth the danger it put her in. Facing the prospect of her returning to Gotham made him feel more pressure to answer that question. _Should I just let her go_… _Would it be kinder for both of us just to end it now before I exposed her to …him. Before it is too late and she pays the price for my hubris._

"Trust her abilities, Master Wayne. That is all she is asking you to do," Alfred squeezed his shoulder and stood, "Now lets get you up and about. You and Master Blake have a killer to catch."

X

Another night another victim. A twenty-five year-old dispatcher from police fire and rescue, stabbed with bite marks to her breasts. Blake covered the graphic photos as Alfred walked into the study. He placed down a cup of coffee and glass of water. "From the nature of your work tonight master Blake I assumed you might rather put off dinner."

Blake grimaced , "Good call, Alfred. Is Bruce home yet?"

Alfred shook his head, "Late meeting with Fox."

Blake made a face, "Is that good thing?"

Alfred chuckled without humor, "There has not been much good coming out of these late night meetings recently im afraid. Likely another corporate pull out."

Blake rubbed his face, "Man if Bruce didn't own this city before, he will when this is all over with."

Alfred sighed looking down at the closed files, "As if he didn't have enough on his plate as it were." He nodded down to the folder, " Are you two any closer in the investigation?"

Blake shook his head, "Not at all. Seems we are just waiting for the next body to appear." Blake looked up at the understanding english gentleman, "Its bad, Alfred... really bad. I've never seen Gordon so worried. He feels like he can't trust his own people and he is loosing officers. Women are being butchered. He is putting all of his faith in Bruce and I and we are coming up empty. I hate it. I feel sick inside over it." He glanced behind Alfred and lowered his voice, "I really think Selina could help on this and Bruce wont bring her in."

Alfred drew in a breath, "Master Blake, tread lightly. Bruce is not one to be trifled with in matters concerning the missus. He is set in his mind and he will not be dissuaded. He will not willingly permit her return to Gotham."

Bruce's voice sounded behind them, "Your right Alfred I won't permit it. Why are you two even discussing the matter?" Bruce's green eyes pierced through Blake and only his police training on lie detection kept his eyes from dropping to the folder on the table like a confession of his sin.

Alfred stood and took the brunt of Bruce's forceful gaze. "Master Blake was inquiring if Missus Kyle would be attending the dedication on Friday. I informed him of your staunch opposition to the idea despite all that she did to contribute to the project." Somehow Alfred managed to sound both haughty and disapproving despite the blatant untruth.

Bruce glared between the men and his eyes settled back on Alfred. "I know you want her to be there, especially considering her contributions and our engagement, but im serious Alfred... I will not have her in this city. Not as long as the Joker remains a threat."

Alfred raised a brow, "I believe that was exactly the sentiment I just echoed, Master Wayne. I assume by your surly demeanor that things with Fox did not go well.

Bruce clinched his jaw and accepted the subject change, "They certainly did not. Thanks for asking." He dropped his hands to his hips and rolled his head cracking his neck, "Blake we need to make it a quick workout tonight I want to hit the Bowery early, Gordon has picked up intel on some weapons trading activity out of a bar on the west end."

Blake nodded and stood quickly giving Alfred a look that was testament to offering himself into indentured servitude for Alfred having covered his ass. Alfred just gave him a small nod, "Master Blake I will have some dinner ready for you after your training session." Alfred looked up at Bruce, "Would you care for a cup of coffee? It appears you are in for a long evening sir."

Bruce nodded in grim agreement with Alfred's assessment. He took coffee with Alfred as Blake readied himself for their lesson. Bruce told Alfred then of the newest wrinkle in the energy initiative as apparently there had been several attempted break-ins at the LA facility and threats had been made against both Pepper and Tony. They were being investigated by the FBI and CIA and found to have reasonable merit.

Alfred considered the implications of this new threat as he researched the possible organizations involved while he sipped brandy and awaited the return of the two men from their nightly tour. Hours later Bruce and Blake returned none the closer in the investigation. They had stood witness to a small level weapons deal, handguns and armor piercing rounds. They didn't disrupt the transaction, they just did recon as Gordon was anticipating the possibility this might escalate into something more fruitful including a possible line in on the Joker. He made them aware of the intelligence gathered on the deal because he didn't want to risk the wrong officers being in the know.

Bruce and Blake were sitting at the counter as Alfred put together sandwiches for them. Bruce helped himself to another milk seeming to enjoy it now that his headache passed. Blake quirked an eyebrow at him and smirked, "Are you digressing back to your childhood, drinking chocolatey milk?"

Bruce just gave him a side look of annoyance. "Everybody drinks chocolate milk after a workout like we had tonight, Blake. You should know that."

Blake frowned and picked up an unopened container reading the label and obviously not making the connection, "Why?"

Bruce launched into the bio science behind the practice explaining the body's ability to quickly metabolize the mix of carbohydrates and protein to quickly replenish exhausted sources of energy and minimize the body's natural reflex to cannibalize muscle for fuel. He added in that it was low in sodium and sugar and high in calcium and other nutrients. Blake looked down at the paper carton with a newfound respect before opening it and downing the contents in one long chug, "They should put that on the carton, I was just drinking them cuz they taste good."

Bruce looked at him for a long moment and a strange look passed over his face. He picked up his phone off the counter and sent a text. A few minutes later a response bounced back. Fox: _I will notify Donovan group in the morning of the rebranding project. Good night Mr. Wayne._

Bruce smirked down at the phone before he typed in, _Go ahead and make the offer for Dublin's bottling and distribution. Bring the crew back to work. I have an idea._

A sharp beep from his phone: _Now that I am up buying things we can no longer afford ...is there anything else you require of me, Mr Wayne?_

Bruce smiled and typed_, Not at this time Fox, I'm off to bed. Why are you awake at this hour anyways?_

Alfred watched Bruce with amusement, it was times like this that Bruce reminded him so much the precocious little boy that had once been. He was up to something and this time it involved more than sneaking condensed milk off high shelves in the pantry. "I wonder exactly what might be up your sleeve, Master Wayne?"

Bruce looked up and lifted the little carton in a toast, "A very lucrative marketing idea was just born in your kitchen, Alfred."

x

Bruce woke shortly before noon and rolled over to his side. He yawned and tried to clear the disjointed dreams from his mind. He didn't mind dreaming of Selina, it was the waking up without her that bothered him. He reached over and collected his Mac off the nightstand and flipped open the top to enter in his security password. The screen loaded and a few seconds later he was looking at the GPS tracking history of the pearls. He pulled up the time line and scrolled day by day noting various stops along the canal, the university and home then an evening of café's and as she had mentioned clubs.

He frowned slightly as he narrowed the search pattern from 10:30pm to 5am. The GPS tracking beacon lit up. The pattern crisscrossed across the downtown red-light district and stopped at a location off the historical center. He looked hard at the convergence of lines as he magnified the map and pulled up current GPS.

It was residential..and it was Selina's current position.

He pulled the address ignoring a sinking feeling that was rolling in the pit of his stomach. He ran back the GPS on week nights she was home by 10 nearly every night… then Friday and Saturday she was there at the same address over night. His jaw clinched as he entered a side search on the residence utilizing the servers in the batcave to bypass security firewalls. He entered the address on the gps and cross referenced the tracking records to the residence. They intersected there daily multiple times a day in fact. He paused as his breath was coming quicker. _What the hell Selina? … What are you doing?_

He caught himself and took a breath. _Calm down Wayne. Give her the benefit of the doubt. She hasn't done anything to warrant you to not trust her._ The search completed and the photo of the villa appeared. It was charming and tasteful and Bruce wasn't happy. Then Bruce found the name of the man who owned it and he became more unhappy. When a personal search pulled up the man's medical license and bio Bruce started dialing her number.

Niccolo Moretti was a third year intern at Santa Maria Nuova one of the oldest hospitals in Florence. According to his search the hospital it was supposedly founded by the father of Beatrice of famed Dante lore. Bruce stopped reading. _That is all I need. The romance of Dante and Beatrice twisted into all of this..._ Bruce scoured the details of the doctor's personal biography as represented by the hospital. Dr Niccolo was specializing in Pediatrics, he was unmarried, supposedly enjoyed playing soccer and he was astonishingly if not alarmingly attractive. Bruce listened to the phone ring as he stared at the accompanying photo, it rang four times and then went to voice mail.

He pulled up the GPS tracker and stared at the dot blinking above the doctor's address and he felt like the world had just twisted sideways. He looked around the room hyper aware of everything in his environment and how suddenly things seemed alien and foreign. He forced himself to draw deeper breaths as he tried to think through the situation. His phone beeped with a text message from, Selina. '_Sorry missed your call. Am in the middle of something. Call you in a few?'_

Bruce nearly swore as he texted back, '_Call me now.'_ He stared at the phone waiting for her response. Minutes stretched into an hour. Blake was with his judo instructor and Alfred was having brunch on the patio when her call finally rang through. He accepted it and then froze. _What the hell am I going to say? _He clutched the phone and tried to think. _She doesn't have a clue how wound up I am, or why... I can't tell her I know where she is without laying my cards on the table about the pearls. Not to mention the fact I haven't even given her the chance to tell me whats going on.. im not going to just accuse her am I... . I have to give her a chance to explain this to me.._ "Selina."

"Hey, Sorry I couldn't get right back to you. Probably for the best, it gave you a chance to miss me a little bit more. Are you missing me, Bruce?" Her voice was light and effortlessly happy.

"Always," he ground out, "You missing me?"

"Always," she mimicked his gruff tone as she answered back with his same answer.

He pressed his lips together and willed himself to calm, but it was too little too late, she had read into his silence, "What's eating you today, Wayne? Did you call just to pick a fight with me? Its too great a day for that, Bruce." He could feel her smile through the phone.

"What's so great about it, Selina?" He wanted to add more, _Is it great because you have someone to spend it with.._.

"Ugh... you really are in a snit aren't you? Do me a favor and don't call when you are all hormonal. It really harshes my good karma."

Her voice was still light, but he got the message. _Watch yourself Wayne..She is about to hang up on you. If she does you will spend the rest of the day imagining that Greek god playing doctor with the love of your life. Fuck._ "How have you been spending your great day, Selina?" He asked the question as he looked down at her day laid out before him in GPS format. _You spent the night with him.. went to the farmers market this afternoon.. and then went back to his villa.. and there you have remained...explain it Selina...please help me understand..._

She paused, "Nothing special. Just a normal day in Florence. They all blur into one another after awhile."

Bruce was seething, "Do they now…?"

Selina wasn't stupid she picked up on his anger and her voice became cautious, "Why the sudden interest in my itinerary?"

Bruce stood now with his head dropped back against his shoulders feeling like his heart was being ripped out of his chest," Well, Selina...you have a copy of my itinerary I figured we would discuss yours for a change."

"Really?" Her voice dripped of sarcasm, "Well Bruce, If you are concerned with my whereabouts why don't you come over here and see for yourself where I am or better yet, give the word and I will come to you."

Bruce dropped the register of his voice revealing completely how angry he was, "I am _very_ concerned with your whereabouts, Selina. _Very. Concerned_."

"Like I said Bruce, If you are _that_ concerned with where I am and what I am doing then come over and see for yourself or pick me up at Gotham international." The line disconnected and he was left holding on while it felt like Selina was letting go.

x

Bruce had tried her line a dozen times and it defaulted directly to voice mail. He had sat there on the edge of his bed for over an hour before he was able to pull his head out and come to terms with a few things. Firstly, Selina wasn't cheating on him. He needed to accept that, not because he was so vain that he believed himself her ultimate prize, but because he believed Selina when she told him that she loved him. He saw it in every look and action when they were together.

So he sat there and let his heart talk to his brain for a few minutes. _She loves me. That's the end of it…she isn't cheating on me. There is another explanation for what I found._ He sat there waiting for his mind to reject the blind faith he was showing. Seconds and minutes passed and he never questioned it again. _She loves me... it is a fact_. _I believe it with everything I am. Selina Kyle loves me. Something is wrong here... but whatever it is.. it isn't that._

He picked up the computer from his bedside and pulled up the man's photo. He felt none of the angst from before. _Why would Selina be at your house? Why... she had nothing to gain from you,.. no relationship to be had other than possibly a friendship. Selina had Sigmund ..they were inseparable as friends... why would she take time away from him for... unless..._ He studied the man's face and a small smile twisted his lips. _Sigmund… _His mind raced ahead several stages and he repeated his thought aloud. "Sigmund."

Bruce quickly accessed the computer and pulled up the GPS tracker, he narrowed the search to week day mornings and afternoons to include time stamps. It pulled travel paths from various points throughout the city and they converged on the university where the GPS remained stationary for hours. It wasn't just travel _by_ the University it was travel _to_ the University. "Fuck!" Bruce stood looking down on the computer. "Fuck!" He repeated as he considered the implications.

_She knew. She figured out the pearls were tracked and she planted the tracer on Sigmund. I have been tracing Sigmund all over Florence. To the university..to clubs.. to the canal._ He shut his eyes and recalled what Selina had said about not having selected the furnishings herself.._.'I just turned Sigmund loose with a line of credit and all I had to do was sit back and reel him in...'_

He grabbed his phone and pulled up their call history from the night before. He looked at the call time when he had awoken her and then pulled the correlating data on the GPS tracker. According to this she shouldn't have been in bed she should have been at a club a few blocks from the Museo Galileo drinking and dancing her ass off. The data showed two hours later that she left the bar and made a beeline to Dr Love's house where she stayed for an all-nighter. But it wasn't Selina, it was Sigmund.

Bruce had fallen for the misdirection hook line and sinker.

"Alfred" his voice boomed. His long time companion lowered the magazine he had been reading and his cool blue eyes rested on Bruce as he exploded out onto the patio. "Alfred did you know?"

Bruce looked beside himself and Alfred could not fathom why, "Calm yourself Bruce and explain your question."

"Did you know Selina was back in Gotham? How long Alfred? How long has she been here? Is she out at the Manor now?" His voice had lost none of its booming anger until he saw Alfred's reaction to the news that Selina was in Gotham. In his surprise Alfred had stood quickly and tossed aside his magazine tipping over his perfectly blended mimosa. "Ms. Kyle is here?" Alfred looked over his shoulder as if he expected her to walk out onto the terrace behind him.

Bruce paced across the patio, _Alfred didn't know... she hadn't contacted him._ Ace walked slowly up to him sniffing quizzically as if determining if his assistance was needed. Bruce stopped and looked down at the dog, it lowered its ears and whined submissively trying to sooth the angry man. It had the desired effect as Bruce snapped his fingers and called the dog to his side.

Ace responded immediately. His normal carefree gate was replaced with quick movements designed to please the human with his obedient response. He sat, his muscles tense as Bruce knelt down and stroked his head. The animal remained watchful and there was uncertainty in its eyes as if anticipating an unkindness to accompany the anger he sensed. Bruce continued to sooth the disturbed animal as he reined himself in.

When they had both calmed he stood and took out his phone and sent a message to Lucius Fox. He needed some answers and his CEO was the man that was going to provide them.

x

xx

xx

A jealous BW and a sneaky SK

I have to admit it is my guilty pleasure to write them like this...- but I wanted to write it where Bruce did still understand that Selina loves him. Hopefully I got the best of both worlds..

Review!


	4. Chapter 4

_Good evening Gotham!_

_Hope everyone had a great weekend. I worked, but still managed an update! yay for me!_

_Thank you to everyone that reviews it is often my biggest motivation to post chapters! I literally check for reviews a thousand times a day!_

_That being said a personal thanks to:_

_KLC... Bruce doubling down on being paranoid and stupid over Selina and the fact that he often has the audacity not to be wrong about it- was the greatest take ever on their relationship! HAHA damn him!_

_Batsocks, Mer, CMU, Davros fan, cmbmsu and Robin...who hates her own reviews but I love them) thanks for reading and for your encouragement!_

_landscaper01 isiskali and whiterosescorner thanks for your tumblr reviews!_

_Tinatin, Abelard and Chipsnnopotatoes you all are feeling the jealous Bruce Wayne- you guys are after my own heart... I LOVE ME SOME JEALOUS BRUCE WAYNE!_

_A couple of people have asked me about my visual inspirations for some of the scenes- specifically Selina's Corsica dress or the gold number from Monte Carlo. If you go to my profile page and link to the tumblr account - search tags for slingblade125batcat and you will find some pictures. I will post up one of the ballroom and some other things soon as well. _

_-Slingblade-_

X

Fox was counting on a half day for Saturday so when Bruce's message popped up he nearly groaned. _Wayne: 'Meet you in Applied Science at 2 it is important.'_

Lucius looked at his watched and realized it was already after one. _Where had the morning gone?_ He looked at his uneaten sandwich and turned up his nose. He considered things for a moment then texted back, '_My office... bring food'_

Bruce showed forty minutes later with a bag from Charlie's. It was a burger place down the street known for the best onion rings in the financial district. Lucius's stomach grumbled in anticipation. He tossed the plastic wrapped sandwich into the garbage before accepting the sack of food, "Bruce you are a life saver."

Lucius looked far too casually dressed to be the CEO for Wayne Enterprises, but he knew that he would be the only one in the office so he had not hesitated to come in to ink contracts wearing tan cargo pants and a MIT long-sleeve polo. The owner of Wayne Enterprises looked no more formal himself in a pair of dark jeans and leather jacket.

Bruce had ridden his motorcycle into the city, making the most of a clear day while also trying to calm his nerves, but all he had succeeded in doing was making himself think more about, Selina. _Selina who loved motorcycles ... loved Fox and loved me... Selina Kyle who was also a stubborn, sneaky, little witch that was now refusing to answer my calls.._

Lucius wolfed down a few mouthfuls of the burger before collecting himself enough to ask Bruce what the urgent business was that required his weekend attention. "If it is your remarking campaign Bruce, I assure you the people at Donovan are going to make that campaign work or die trying. I gave them a few other side projects I could think of, updating the logos on some of our subsidiaries and the like. The team agreed the main WE logo should remain unchanged, they believe its familiarity and history adds to the feel of stability for the company and stability is something Gotham is in short supply of these days."

He looked up at Bruce seemingly amused, "The PR department did feel like _you_, however, _could_ use some rebranding." He smiled as he chewed, "They suggested a media campaign aimed at keeping the Wayne name trending positive in the wake of so many large investments. We don't want the population to turn rabid thinking you used this fiasco to take financial advantage of Gotham."

Fox took another satisfying bite and continued to explain, "They recommend full disclosure of earnings and investments with the how's and whys behind the acquisitions. Focusing on the humanitarian factor of salvaging jobs and the retention of industry for the city." He swallowed and took a sip of tea, " In other words, Mr. Wayne I have an entire PR department tuning up like a brass band ready and waiting to toot your horn. "

Bruce shrugged it off, "Whatever they think. Let them roll with it. It will keep them busy until we can generate something more substantial for them to do." He leaned forward in his seat, "Lucius, marketing and public relations are not why I wanted to see you."

Fox nodded, "I didn't think they were, Mr. Wayne. What is it this time?'"

"Selina." Bruce stated shortly.

Fox took another bite and looked back to his employer, "What about her?"

Bruce was not about to dance around this thing with Fox, "I want you to tell me where she is."

Fox wiped his lips with a paper napkin and drank down another sip of his beverage, "Stalking people is more your hobby than mine, Mr. Wayne. Why don't _you,_ tell _me, _where she is?"

Bruce gave him a rueful smile, "I would love to do just that, but I can't. It seems my sly fiancée discovered the tracker in her pearls. Now, I need you to figure out another way to pin down her location."

Lucius looked at him like he had grown a third eye, "If you want to know where your fiancée is Mr. Wayne, might I suggest you pick up the phone, call her and simply ask... politely."

Bruce stared at him and worked hard to ensure his voice was calm, "My fiancée is no longer willing to take my calls, Mr. Fox. If you believe that type of direct approach has possibilities, you are welcome to give it a try. "

Fox swirled his cup and took another sip of tea before plucking his cell off the cluttered desk, A few seconds later Selina's voice sounded over his Bose docking station. She picked up on the first ring, "Lucius my man, I was _just_ thinking of you."

Fox smiled apologetically at Bruce who seemed put out completely when she took his call. Rather than expressing his discontent he remained determinedly silent, "I just imagine you were my dear. Were you thinking that you should call and warn me that your betrothed would be knocking down my door this afternoon?"

Selina chuckled under her breath, "I suppose he is there sitting in front of you right now brooding as he eavesdrops."

Fox was sitting with his fingertip pressing at his temple, elbow braced on his desk looking the epitome of cool as he assisted the two star-crossed lovers through their latest battle of wills, "That he is, Selina. Would you care to speak with him?"

"No," she replied flatly. In the distance there was the faint sound of a siren, it was the distinctive wail of a European emergency vehicle. Bruce could hear traffic in the background, and he was suddenly more certain than ever she was in Gotham. Selina paused for a moment and there was a rustle and a mumbled apology in Italian. "Hey you still there Fox?"

"Yes dear, is there a problem?" Fox inquired as he watched Bruce tense in the chair in front of him.

"Nothing that throttling your boss wouldn't remedy. Really Fox, do something with him. Would you please?"

Lucius watched Bruce as the younger man leaned forward listening intently to the conversation, "Selina I have enough on my plate with your fiancé _professionally_ as he endeavors to purchase all of Gotham; keeping him in line _personally_ is what _you_ signed on for."

"I don't remember reading that in the fine print, " Selina laughed again, "Hey Fox I'm about to los-"

The connection terminated and Fox looked over at Bruce and shrugged, "What is your concern again, Mr. Wayne? She is in good spirits and is simply out and about in Florence."

Bruce looked unimpressed and undeterred, " Mr. Fox I'm going to need you to dig in a little deeper. Because that," he gestured into the air indicating all they had just heard, "I'm not buying any of it. "

Fox refused to budge without his meal so Bruce ended up holding the drink and bag of greasy onion rings while Fox continued to eat his burger on the elevator ride down to applied sciences.

The food had made him more agreeable and he went willingly if only to humor Wayne. When they arrived, Lucius went about pulling up Selina's satellite phone and recalled all of the hits and transmissions on her number. Fox tapped on the keypad and then spun the monitor to face Bruce, "There you see. Everything shows an initialization from Florence, Italy."

Bruce looked at the screen wary of the data that did not corroborate what his gut was telling him. "Check it again, Lucius. I need you to be sure."

Fox rolled his eyes and was about to repeat the data trapping process when he noticed the anomaly. He slipped on his glasses and pulled up the details on the transmissions. He tapped his finger on the long string of computer code on the screen. "Mr. Wayne. It appears that we have been had."

Bruce stood, planting his hands on the desk in near triumph, "Tell me how. "

"It appears that all of Ms. Kyle's phone calls _are_ sourcing out of Italy, but they are generating off of only one cell tower. Now even with the GPS inaccuracies it would be reasonable to assume that she would be moving about the city." He tapped the line of code again, "So her cell signal should ping off the service tower nearest her location."

Bruce nodded, "But it isn't, everything is coming in and going out under this single service tower."

He nodded and looked up at Bruce, "I would say based on this information that she has rigged a daisy chain. It is relaying her calls and messages to this individual beacon and then out to her actual location.. wherever that might be. Based on this Bruce... I would find it highly unlikely that Ms. Kyle would have went through all of this effort only to remain in Italy."

"How long?" Bruce demanded.

He pulled up the information, tracking back the relays, "You aren't going to like this, Bruce."

"How long?" He demanded the information from Fox.

"The singular relays from this tower started two weeks after you got back to Gotham."

Bruce was stunned. _Two weeks… two fucking weeks_. He shut his eyes and balled his fists pressing them hard against the desk top, "Damn her."

Fox shook his head, "I wonder what the hell has she been up to all this time?"

Bruce knew then exactly where she had been and what she had been doing._ She was working her own leads in the Bowery. Selina had been feeding information to me without my even realizing it. She made it sound like innocent suggestions that Gordon might want to check things out, that Blake and I should maybe take a look at various places. Everywhere she had suggest had panned out... because she had been right there in the middle of it all leaving breadcrumb trails for us to follow._

He froze as his mind finally processed what it all meant. _She was in town for weeks lying low and working the street. She didn't likely start in the Bowery she would have trailed leads there. For her to suggest to me, even in passing, that Blake and I should start working the very area she was frequenting and for her to flat-out say Gordon needed men on the ground there was Selina indicating that she had found something big and she needed backup._

_What the hell have you gotten into little girl…and who knew that were back in Gotham..._

His thoughts ran immediately to Gordon. The commissioner had been pulling intel out of the Bowery since even before Officer Kerr was assigned the dangerous task of infiltrating the underworld network. Bruce had assumed that information was coming from the other undercover officers now he wasn't so sure that was the case.

X

Jim Gordon opened the door as he slipped his service weapon, a Glock 40cal, back into its waist holster. He looked taken aback by the man at his front stoop. "Mr. Wayne. This is a surprise to say the least." He opened the door wider, "Meghan and I were just sitting down to eat. Join us."

Bruce looked contrite as he entered the house, "I hope you don't mind an uninvited guest."

Gordon laughed as he gestured around his house full of scattered toys and strewn about clothes, "I should ask if _you_ mind." He ushered Bruce inside and braced for the impact as Meghan rounded the corner and saw her honorary uncle.

Bruce Wayne was there on business, but he did not hesitate to provide his undivided attention to little Meghan. He wrapped her in a warm hug and accepted the smother of kisses and relentless string of questions. It was when she started asking about Selina that Bruce finally faltered.

Gordon intercepted his daughter and Bruce followed him into the kitchen where he sat her down with her meal of baked fish and vegetables before making a plate for himself and their guest. Bruce spent the next half an hour dining with the Gordon's and determining that neither had a clue about Selina's possible return to Gotham. He left with the promise from Gordon that he would look deeper into the source that was bringing in the weapons information out of the Bowery.

Thirty-seven minutes later Bruce was walking through the apartment Fox had arranged for Selina Kyle. The stale air and lifeless feel as he opened the front door made him realize immediately that there was no chance that she had been here. Still, he went through the motions. Walking from room to room, he searched for signs of her and found none.

It was a process he repeated at the safehouse. He felt her memory there, but nothing fresh that would make him believe that she had been there recently. His frustration was palpable as he sat on the bed they had shared and tried her cell phone again. It rang through to her voice mail. He left a message this time, "Selina I need you to call me. Text me and let me know you are all right. I need to talk to you."

He narrowed his eyes as he ended the call. He had one more spot to try.

x

Bruce walked up the rear entry of Wayne Manor. He had parked his bike just off the road and taken a path across the overgrown field up to the house on foot. There was a security perimeter set up around the residence, which he bypassed easily. He slipped through an unlocked window on the lower level and paused for a moment taking in the strange smells and new feeling of the house.

The heavy chemical odor of paint and stain from the newly treated baseboards and moldings hung in the air as he manuvered through the empty house. He surveyed the open rooms as he went, noting the enormous accent rugs that lay bundled ready to be stretched across freshly scraped wood floors and furniture still tarped awaiting final placement.

Bruce followed the familiar halls trying not to feel guilty that he hadn't waited for the unveiling before seeing the finished product. He pushed past that emotion as he imagined Selina walking these very halls for weeks, watching it fill with the furnishings Sigmund shipped from Italy. He felt his stomach clinch as he realized he didn't know how he was going to react when and if he found her. Angry, relieved, happy, betrayed the emotions were in a rolling boil inside him. It was so mixed that he himself didn't know what was going to surface when he saw her face. So far betrayed and angry were the lead ponies in the race.

He reached the second floor mezzanine and passed by a tangle of rope and an opened crate marked Murano. Bruce recalled Murano as a small Venetian island known for their exotic handblown crystal. His eyes were drawn immediately to the frescoed ceilings and the new chandelier suspended above.

In the moonlight Bruce could see the gleaming crystals that tiered down in an exquisite tri-level teardrop design. He took a moment to lookout over the ballroom; even in the dark, it was awe-inspiring. The walls that bordered the enormous room were still the original grey marble, but were now accented with blood burgundy fabrics that framed the massive windows and lined passage ways into the rest of the mansion. Crystal wall sconces, formal resting chairs, antique benches and long silver drink tables peppered the perimeter.

Bruce stood for a long while looking at the gleaming marble floor as he imagined Selina pressed against his chest as he guided her in a waltz across the dance floor. _The room would look stunning when the Italian crystal fixture was fired to life, of that I am certain. Before this room had been stark and lifeless, filled with modern artistic sculptures picked by some random interior designer. I hadn't liked the first one that was unwrapped so I told Alfred not to bother unveiling the rest. They had remained shrouded for years like forgotten__ mummies before Alfred finally disposed of them to a collector._

Bruce felt his chest squeeze as he imagined Selina and Alfred working together to create this elegant masterpiece. _It was nothing short of miraculous how they were able to breathe life into __this hull of a house with just this one room. I can only imagine when I see the rest of it... How had Selina come along and changed my life like she did...how is it that she holds my heart in her hand like she does_...

Bruce felt the relief horse kick itself into gear. He knew that as angry as he was at her deception, he would feel relief at finding her. _I don't think she understands how much i need her... how responsible __she is for my happiness now. Since Selina entered my life the difference in me is as vast as the before and after of this room... At its basic level I am the same, but with what she adds... I become someone totally different, unrecognizable... enhanced... alive. So yes, it will be desperate relief that I feel when I find the little witch that brought myself and the Manor back to life._

"I will feel even more relief when I ship her ass off to a gulag in Siberia for safe keeping," Bruce muttered the empty threat as he walked up the stairs to the third level and nearly turned left to his old bedroom. He halted and looked right toward his parent's master suite. _Alfred would expect me to stay there now. To Alfred my taking a bride would mean my acceptance of my place as the Master of the Manor. He would force it on me using Selina as his weapon of choice. How could I deny Selina her rightful place in this house? I already feel duty bound to honor her as my wife with nothing less than the finest trapping Wayne Manor could offer..._

Bruce felt his stomach clinch as he looked toward the master's chambers. _Regardless of the circumstances_ _I will still feel my parents presence in that room... _He stood frozen in the hall for a long while. Finally, Bruce garnered the nerve to face the painful memory. He walked to the door and found it locked before noticing a small notecard stuck in the jam of the door. '_Complete do not enter_.'

Bruce studied the message and then slowly backed away. _She's not in there and I am not facing that room without her beside me; even with her, I'm not sure I will be able to spend my nights there.._. _She will forgive me... Selina will understand... _He continued to retreat slowly as if something might leap out at him should he let down his guard. He finally turned and walked the length of the long hall toward his old room. Bruce paused as he rounded the corner and entered the remote wing, noticing immediately the alteration to the floor plan.

He walked through the open gallery passed dozens of shrouded paintings, his eyes drawn to where there had once been a door leading into a drawing room. It was no longer there, nor was the door to his old bedroom. Now there was a heavy double door centered on the wall, recessed into the brick and braced above and on the sides by pillared stone supports.

The heavy wood door was detailed with twisted iron and looked strong enough to repel a battering ram. He tried the handle and the door opened obediently, swinging easily on the heavy iron hinges despite its massive size. Moonlight streaming through the East wall of windows illuminated the room enough for Bruce to realize, even with just a precursory scan, what had been done; they had created a new master suite.

He walked through the bedroom, forgetting for a moment the true nature of his business, focused instead on the work the contractors had exerted to absorb the additional area of the drawing room. They had utilized the space to create a huge his and hers walk-in closet. Attached to it was a boudoir, presumably so the mistress would have her own private retreat. It was very formal... very traditional and sexy as hell.

He walked passed the custom clothing already hanging in the main closet into the boudoir, taking immediate notice of the extensive lingerie collection tantalizingly suspended from satin covered hangers. The floor length mirrors and makeup vanity almost escaped his notice as his eyes gravitated to the dressing chair which was obviously the centerpiece of the room.

It was a long neoclassic chaise lounge with ornate gold leaf trim covered in cream-colored crushed velvet. Bruce ran his fingertips over the high flared triangle corner and realized this chair would _not_ be used for dressing, it would be for undressing. _Undressing my wife..._

The lust horse had finally strolled out of the gates and trotted unhurried up the track. Ironically, all other emotions seemed to have lost their will to compete... _Jesus the thought of having her in this room just became my new favorite thing. So maybe I will take her on that chair half a dozen times before shipping her off to Siberia... _He shut his eyes and pictured doing just that. _Selina on her knees... holding the back of that chair surrounded by the endless walls of mirrors_. He lost himself in that scene for a long moment.

Bruce forced himself out of his fantasy and back into reality. He walked back into the bedroom and let his eyes take a more detailed sweep over the area and the realization hit him. _The ridiculously expensive suite we shared in Monte Carlo...t__his was the duvet off that bed... that or it was a damn close reproduction. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if she just waltz in there and stole it right off that very bed herself. However she came by it, the physical reminder of that night was now stretched across this bed... our bed. _

"Selina Kyle... That night really has been on your mind." Bruce let out a breath as he looked at the Asian-inspired design, a dreamlike outline of a Geisha surrounded with swirling koi hand-embroidered over a rich olive-green Japanese silk.

He ran his hands down the familiar wood frame of the bed, it was a Carlo Bugatti. The small nick on the side revealed that it was not a reproduction; Alfred had gotten back the original. Both Alfred and Bruce had admired the furnishings of this particular designer. It had a classic masculine feel likely stemming from the use of metals in the design. The heavy copper inlays along with the intricate wood carvings had made it perfect for him as a bachelor. Now, softened by the exotic and sexy fabric, the bed fit them both... perfectly.

He sat down on the mattress fearing that his mind would run to the memories of lonely nights wallowing in guilt over Rachel, but instead it filled with the image of Selina... of the future... Images of her resting beside him. He could feel Selina as he pulled down the duvet and lowered his face to the pillow. Suddenly he didn't know if it was just his imagination or if he really did just catch the light scent of her on the sheets. As the smell of her filled his nose Bruce had to force himself not to get lost in the memories of their nights together shared under this very cover.

_Fuck I am obviously crazy... it won't surprise me if I am dreaming this all right now... the Manor...Selina... all of it. I will wakeup soaked in sweat, alone and hard as hell back at the penthouse and this will have all been a dream. If it is I swear to God I am going to call her... and like the weak fucking excuse for a man I have become, I am going to beg her to come to Gotham... beg her to get on the first thing smoking out of Italy because I have fucking had enough of this too... enough of the nights missing her... enough of taking hollow relief from my hand with only the memories of her to sustain me... enough missing her laugh and the way only she has of making me feel at ease in my skin... enough of all of this..._

He felt her presence everywhere in this room. '_Don't be surprised when I show up naked in your bed'... Those were her very words to me. She had been confessing to me exactly where she was... laying right here in this bed touching herself as she tortured me over the phone..." _Mauvaise fille," Bruce growled low in his throat as he stood and smoothed back the bed cover.

Questioning whether he was imagining things and not trusting that he wasn't, Bruce stalked into the bathroom searching for a definitive sign that Selina had actually been there.

The bathroom had also been remodeled. The builders had utilized the old closet area and virtually doubled the size of the master bath. He looked at the spilt vanities and noticed all of his shaving and personal items expertly reproduced. This felt more like Alfred than Selina. It was second nature for his butler to ensure that all of his residences and even the jet were stocked with his personal items of choice be it soaps or colognes. Selina's counter looked the much the same, some items he recognized others Alfred may have taken liberties and anticipated her preferences.

He walked into the enormous bath area noting the layer of dusty grout that covered the bottom of the sunken tub and continued on to the shower. Again, all of their items were reproduced, held in a caddie built into the wall. He stood in the natural rocked shower and inhaled deeply, searching the air for the scent of her shampoo and for a moment he believed that he indeed smelled citrus in the air. He reached for the bottle and held it up to the moonlight trying to determine if the level was full. _If she had used it, she hadn't used much._

He knelt and ran his hands over the bottom of the shower; his fingers came away without any residue of caulking or grit from mortar between the smooth rocks. He looked more closely at the floor, crouching lower to study the entrance of the shower. Focusing hard he could just make out the small circles of toe prints on the rough rock floor.

"Got you. Sneaky little witch."

He stood, quickly scanning the room for any other signs. He walked to her counter again and searched the contents with renewed intensity. His eyes fell on a small travel-sized deodorant. He tilted his head. _Everything here was purposefully selected and purchased for her, why would Alfred have bought a travel size in anything?_ He picked it up and he knew before he opened it that it would be used. He uncapped the lid and stared down at the top. It was missing the protective cover and the product was noticeably worn.

Bruce held in his hand the first tangible evidence of her presence in Gotham and he didn't know whether to feel victorious or defeated.

_Selina Kyle was here... in Gotham. My Selina was prowling the streets of the Bowery where some crazed bastard was butchering woman._ Bruce slipped his phone out of his pocket as the vibration indicated an incoming call. He hoped against hope that it would be her.

_Incoming call: Gordon_

Bruce picked up, his jaw ached from how hard he had been clinching his teeth. He spoke in the voice of the Batman, "What have you got Commissioner?"

Gordon spoke quickly. "You were right. She is here. Gerald Stephens, one of my detectives in the MCU has been in contact with her. She spoke with him about an hour ago, said she had a line on our killer. She told him the police officers weren't the first. He has been working through prostitutes on the west side dumping their bodies in the sewers. She I.D 'd him- Black male, early thirties, built like a damn defensive guard. She estimated him at six foot five, something like two hundred and fifty pounds."

Bruce felt the adrenalin surge through him as he strode through the bedroom toward the study. Gordon's voice was muffled, "No take Lamar to 8th." Then it came through clearly again, "She said the guy has some kind of skin condition, wears a trench coat to cover it. Stephens ran the description through NCIC and got a hit out of Louisiana. A BOLO on a pimp named, Waylon Jones."

Sounds of tires screeching and then the echoing sound of a phone dropping and muffled curse, then Gordon's voice again clear, "I just got off the phone with a lieutenant in their vice squad, he said the MO on our murders fits this guy. His file there is thick as a phone book. Assault, prostitution, aggravated robbery and he is wanted in questioning for the sexual assault and murder of four women there before he skipped town." Gordon finally paused, "They said their killer was a biter too. The guys in homicide were calling him, Killer Croc."

x

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xxx

_Mauvaise fille,- French for Bad Girl...Bruce had called Selina this in a previous story when she pulled a fast one on him and made him believe that she couldn't understand/ speak French._

_The details on Bruce's bed I owe to Landscaper01- She wrote a great story that included the info so I added that in as a little authentic flavor from the movie_

_I also don't remember if I gave __credit to KLCthebookworm for suggesting that WE absorb up Daggett concrete - that is the foundation for Ginger Fox construction. Thanks for the great suggestion!_

_xx_

_So SK is back in the gritty city!_

_What are your thoughts for the Bat/Cat reunion?_

_Any feels for Wayne Manor? Ideas on the remodel?_

_Reviews... I need em!_

_Love to all_

_-Slingblade-_


	5. Chapter 5

_Happy Friday night!_

_All my friends are out drinking and I am home writing Bat/Cat. I'm not sure who's priorities are right in this situation... I'm thinking mine are, but I might pop a cork after I submit this chapter hehehe._

_I hope you enjoy the read- Have a great weekend!_

x

xx

xxx

Bruce was at a dead run by the time Gordon told him her last known location. He flew into the library praying that the entrance to the cave was as it should be, imagining quickly the alternative of a race across the property to the external access. _I will have to take out the security guards and rip the cap off the well. I won't have any way of sealing it behind me... I'll have to risk them investigating and finding the cave... I don't have time for anything else.._

He nearly swore in relief when he saw the familiar shape of a piano covered by a furniture tarp. Bruce hurdled a stack of rolled rugs and dodged past several broken down wooden crates. He reached his target and whipped aside the dusty cover, hastily keying the familiar broken notes. The bookshelf slid open and he rushed inside pressing the phone back to his ear, "Jim… I am 25 minutes out minimum. The kid is no closer..."

Gordon's voice was tense when he answered and Bruce knew that they were both thinking the same thing, "I'll get to her. I swear it."

xxx

The phone nearly slipped for his grip again as Stephens took Park Row on two wheels and Gordon was pressed against the door of the unmarked unit. The detective gave his boss a sheepish look, "Sorry."

Gordon shook it off, "Don't be. Haul ass we can't afford to be late to the party."

Stephens nodded as he gave another quick side-glance at Gordon understanding fully what the man beside him was going through. He himself had not been on the response team that night, but he knew the guilt the commissioner carried over not making it in time to save Rachel Dawes.

Gordon focused on the street ahead of them gesturing to the sidewalk, Stephen's bumped up the curb and straddled it, riding it that way to the intersection blowing the horn along with the sirens. He got control over the car and pulled it abruptly down a side street. Gordon was about to protest before he remembered this was Stephen's old beat before he was promoted into detectives and eventually into the Major Crimes Unit.

Stephens cranked the wheel and slid the battered Chevy onto the main road. His maneuver had saved them five minutes at least, but evening traffic was heavy and Gordon cursed as he saw the red tail lights on the bridge realizing that no matter what they did they would be slowed by the conditions there. Stephens looked again over at the Commissioner, "Jim, she said that she could handle it."

Gordon's eyes flashed over at the man. It was an awkward situation with Gerald knowing Selina Kyle's identity and relationship to himself and Meghan. It was almost a given that Stephens then knew the identity of the Batman, or would when Selina's relationship with Wayne hit the gossip rags. Even so Gordon had made sure not to use any names in the earlier phone conversation just to ensure that he in no way would be to responsible for revealing Bruce's identity.

It was impossible to believe that Gerald wouldn't piece it together, but Gordon consoled himself that the long time officer was worthy of the trust he had placed in him. Gerald's lapse against the Joker had been understandable as far as the commissioner was concerned. You had to only see what the Joker had done to Batman that night in the interrogation room to understand that the lunatic could have driven any man to an act of brutality, even a veteran officer like Stephens.

Gerald felt the commissioners eyes on him and he glanced over and offered his support again, "She is a tough one, Jim."

Gordon wiped his hand across his brow collecting the beading sweat from his hairline. "From what you described this guy is the size of the Rogues's starting linebacker."

Stephens knew he wasn't wrong, but tried to lighten the mood, "You know what they say Commissioner, the bigger they are the harder they fall."

Gordon's face was grim as he focused on the traffic, "Sometimes the bigger they are the harder they kick your ass." Jim Gordon pulled out his Glock and did a weapons check.

Stephen's pushed harder on the accelerator, suddenly more concerned for the woman that had put her trust in him to have her back in the Bowery. _I had been shocked to say the least when I ended my shift six weeks ago and was approached in the parking garage of the GCPD, by none other than Selina Kyle herself. I had nearly jumped out of my skin when her voice sounded behind me, "Good evening Jerry."_

_I wheeled around expecting her to be standing right behind me. Instead she was above me, sitting relaxed on the concrete beam that lined the garage. Her leg dangled as she leaned casually on a pillar. I had collapsed back against my unmarked unit, my heart hammering in my chest as I regretted every hot dog and plate of nachos I had ever eaten. I spent several breathless moments contemplating my life while awaiting the massive coronary that I anticipated would take me out._

_She had just smiled and waited for me to compose myself, her head tilted as her long brown hair fell over her shoulder. She was wearing a leather jacket and blue jeans and she was without a doubt the most beautiful woman I had ever shared space with. My heart showed no sign of calming so I just stuttered out some gibbered question about why she was there._

_She twisted and dropped her other leg so that she was facing me kicking her feet easily as she talked. Before she finished, I had committed to her to keep her return to Gotham confidential and in exchange she said she would relay information on the Joker. It had struck me then that she had ultimate confidence that she would find something, it was not an if but a when that she believed she would obtain information on him. She made it clear she would work the sources and that all I needed do would be act on the info and keep quiet on where it came from._

_I had agreed and as she slid off the beam and landed lightly on the stiletto heeled boots she wore she gave me a wink and started to walk away. I stopped her. "You had asked before how I got this." I lifted my chin exposing the scar across my throat. She turned back to me and her eyes slid over the old wound and then back up to my face, "It was the Joker." I watched for her reaction, waited for her to understand the warning I was giving her. She didn't look affected so I tried again, "He's a lunatic, and he is dangerous. Be careful."_

_She had walked up to me and I thought for a crazy moment that she might kiss me and I froze. Jeez Louise, the way this woman moved it had me looking for loopholes in my marriage vows and wishing I was 35 again. She had grabbed the lapels of my suit jacket and leaned in close, her lips grazing against my ear and I was helpless not to smell her hair. Orange blossoms...my god..._

_"If you play nice Jerry and keep all of this business just between the two of us... maybe I will save some of the clown just for you." She drew back and gave me a sly smile that said she knew exactly how much getting a piece of that bastard for myself would mean and then she did kiss me, a light brush of her lips on the corner of my mouth. "Don't kiss and tell Jerry."_

_We had both kept our ends of the deal. I had kept quiet and Selina Kyle kept the information flowing. Things started getting more strained as she followed leads and began working connections in the Bowery. She went from once a week updates to three times a week. __She had even caught me in person one day on my way to work. I stopped for coffee and a bagel at Einstein's every weekday morning, and she had been waiting. I was only slightly relieved that she was not sitting at the counter wearing her hooker garb. She often was when I saw her, not that I minded the short skirts and tight tops. Mrs. Stephens had been seeing a lot more action in the bedroom thanks to those outfits._

_When I walked in I noticed her right away, beautiful but a little ragged looking in jeans and a black sleeveless Aerosmith t-shirt. She ordered another cup of tea as she slid off the barstool and walked to the back of the small coffee shop. _

_The waitress nodded at me that she had my usual and watched with a little too much interest as I followed the mystery woman to a back booth. She slid in facing the door, her long brown hair was hidden now beneath a short back wig and her face was hidden beneath heavy Goth makeup and yet she was still stunningly beautiful. Exhausted and stressed out, but dammit... my god what a looker._

_We sat silently waiting until the young woman brought over my coffee and bagel. She placed a cup of tea in front of Selina along with a blueberry muffin. Selina smiled and the waitress seemed pleased, "I saw you eyeballing them." _

_Selina flashed her bright teeth and for a moment I felt another heart attack imminent. I didn't even care that I was being totally obvious. Wow.. just wow. She was gracious too when she spoke to the waitress."Thanks for putting me out of my misery. I can't remember the last time I had one of these." She had looked up at me as the waitress retreated and I wondered when was the last time she had ate at all, or slept for that matter. The question must have been on my face._

_She shrugged, "It's been… balls to the wall down in the Bowery."_

_I waited while she pinched off a piece of the muffin and took a bite. She met my eyes again and I could see the fatigue and worry. "Weapons are moving tonight. Small arms mostly. Possibly some C4. No word yet on the buyer. There are a lot of new players in town." She took a sip of the tea. Her eyes went to the door when the bell jingled and she slipped down in the seat, using my body to shield her from prying eyes._

_ I straightened up and put my elbows on the table trying to make myself as wide a wall as possible to block her off, as I__ did I pressed her for information. "Where are these new players coming from?"_

_Selina shook her head that she didn't know. "There are several guys down there now that I hadn't ever heard of before and believe me, they have some pop in their bats. Even connected pricks like Dino Maroni are getting out of their way. Hell the Gazzo family just rolled over their weapons business entirely." She shook her head and pinched off another bite of the muffin. "That was where my real connections were too, dammit."_

_I could tell she was frustrated and it had me hoping she wasn't giving up, "Do you have any other leads?"_

_Selina looked up distracted, "Yeah. It will just take me some time to get worked in there."_

_I rolled my coffee cup in my hands studying her mannerisms, there was more. "What is it then? Something else going on?"_

_Her brows drew together and she looked like she was considering whether or not to tell me something. She finally decided, "Women are disappearing in the Bowery. Word on the street is someone is murdering prostitutes."_

_"How reliable are your sources?"_

_Selina smirked, "It wasn't from any particular source, it is just the whisper in the wind. A public service announcement between working girls. They are scared." She gave me a look, "And in case you didn't know it, there isn't much that scares the kind of women that are willing to work in the Bowery."_

_The next time I saw her the department had lost an officer._

_She walked up to my car at the intersection of Midwestern and 45th right outside police plaza and rapped on the passenger window. I popped the lock and she opened the door and dropped in the seat beside me. "I heard." She said before I could speak._

_I pulled off with the green light and drove us into a parking garage to the Whitmore hotel, pulled into a slot and put the vehicle in park. She sat there for a long moment before she handed me a folder. It had hand drawn maps of the Bowery. There was a legend that detailed out the bars, business with attached operators, I studied it and then her, "This looks like your resignation."_

_Selina's jaw worked, "I am reassigning myself."_

_I was relieved honestly so I just nodded, "I don't blame you. It's too dangerous down there. Even for you… It's getting out of control."_

_Selina shook her head, "You misunderstand. I'm leaving the weapons to you. Get this to Gordon and have him pass it on to his bestie Batman. She looked at the floorboard, "Word is the guy that got your cop is the one that has been thinning out the Bowery's hooker population. I have some leads I want to look into. __I am going after whoever or whatever is responsible for these women disappearing."_

_I didn't know what to say. It was bad enough we had a dead cop on our hands, but knowing that he could be responsible for more victims was unsettling. "We don't have any other related crimes on the blotter. Nothing at all with this same MO."_

_ I worked through it as I talked, "If there are more vics then they haven't been discovered yet. Why would he dump Bethany in public? Most killers don't change their habits, especially when they are working for them. If he has a dumping ground that hasn't been uncovered, why go outside that and drop a cop behind the patrol house where she is guaranteed to put him on the radar?" _

_Selina stared out the bug spattered window, "Maybe the cop was business and the working girls are pleasure? Maybe he had a point to make… dumping the officer like he did?" _

_I tightened my hands on the wheel of the car, "How many others?"_

_Selina shrugged, "Eight maybe. Hard to say."_

_I looked at her in disbelief, "Eight? Are you fucking kidding me? Eight women have disappeared and there isn't one report on file? No way." She had just looked at me and rolled her eyes._

_"Who is going to report them missing exactly? Their pimps? Their customers?" She slid her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket, "Hell the women working right beside them night after night don't care if they are gone or not. It's just less __competition whenever they don't show. Plus the street population is transient and unpredictable. It's not like they are punching a time clock on the corner of Harry Hines boulevard. When a hooker doesn't show for a few weeks everyone figures she has pulled up stakes and started working in a new stable." _

_I was about to ask her what made her think anything different with__ these other women, but I caught the look on her face. This wasn't a woman that went tilting at windmills for shits and giggles. If she thought something was going on and was willing to back burner hunting the Joker to look into it, you had better believe there was substance in what she was saying. _

_I strangled the wheel of the caprice again, unsure of how to react to all of this, "If you have names or aliases on the women I can look into them, contact their families. See if anyone has heard from them, make sure they just didn't go home. "_

_She shook her head decisively, "No way."_

_That answer hadn't worked for me, at all. "These are women, human beings they have families that deserve to know what happened to them. "_

_She must have realized that I was speaking emotionally over the death of a fellow officer. She just stared out the window and gave me a moment before she shook her head._

_ "No, Bethany Kerr had people that cared about her. She had people that wanted to know what happened to her, these other women don't have anyone. There isnt anyone expecting them home, if they did you wouldn't need me to tell you that they are missing. " _

_I listened to her and my stomach churned, she wasnt wrong. She focused her eyes on her hands, "These girls were lost to their families a long time ago. A few more days dead in the Bowery won't matter."_

_I could not believe the cold callousness of her words, "You talk like their lives mean nothing."_

_She shook her head, "Their lives meant nothing to the bastard that took it from them, but their deaths don't have to be without purpose. If I can find his dumpsite and keep it undisturbed, he will return and I will be waiting for him. I can't think of any better way to make these women's deaths mean something, than by using them to catch him... can you?" _

_I sat there sickened by the prospect of what she was telling me. Selina could read it all over me. "I wouldn't have involved you in this part of it, Jerry...but if something were to happen.."_

_The realization hit me, "__The only reason you are telling me any of this is because you need me to know what you are getting into." The implication was there, she needed me to know that if I didn't hear from her that she had become one of the missing. She was just as cut off from her family, just as disposable as the women that were being murdered. She needed me to blow the whistle if she disappeared, she needed someone to notice she was gone._

_Selina smiled grimly, "I don't have a death wish Jerry if that's what you are thinking. This is the only way. You cops can't step foot in the Bowery without the word hitting the streets. Someone is on the take, telegraphing 5-0 business before you even make a move. I'm trusting you with this because you're not wrong about those women Jerry. They deserve to have their fate known, even if there isn't a soul left in this world that cares about them personally. No one deserves to be left to rot like forgotten garbage in some ally or abandoned lot in the Bowery. If they do have families, well then they deserve closure too. I intend to give that to them."_

_I looked away from her suddenly aware of the weight of the knowledge I carried. Keeping this from Gordon... keeping this from the Batman. Man what was I thinking. I knew who the Catwoman was to him. Jesus christ I hate to think what would become of me if something did happen to her. I saw him lose it in the interrogation room that night with the Joker, hell he had been my inspiration. I swallowed hard, "You have family that deserves to know the truth of whats going on with you too.." _

_Selina opened the door and stepped out, "In the unlikely event of my demise there is an address on the back page of that packet I gave you. Give it to Gordon and tell him everything. He will take things from there." __She knelt and looked at me, " I know what I'm getting into Stephens. I can handle it."_

_I was suddenly struck by how alone she was out there and I again tried to impress upon her my concern, "This guy took down an armed police officer don't forget that."_

_She just nodded, "You will hear from me everyday from now on, if you don't..."_

_I cleared my throat and looked away, "I know what to do."_

_She had nodded and as she moved to shut the door she leaned back down, "Thanks, for trusting me on this."_

_I gave her a reaffirming nod, "Same to you."_

_I should be more upset now about having betrayed her confidence to Gordon, because as I just heard the info went straight up the pipeline to the Batman. Everyone knew she was in the Bowery and we were all scrambling our asses down there, but shit what the hell else could we do. She had given me the description of the possible perp a few hours ago laughing as she did it. Warning me first about what unbelievable crap the intel was, but I had insisted. She read off the description and we both laughed._

_How could either of us had taken the description seriously? It sounded like something right out of the comic book pages. Freaking huge guy with scale like skin. give me a break. Hell, I had even mocked the report by exaggerating the descriptors as I repeated it back to her, "I copy that as a seven__ foot reptile-man wearing flasher jacket. I will send an APB out now on all frequencies." _

_She had laughed but I could tell she was disappointed not to have given me something more substancial. __I had almost left to go home when I took a second and logged into Gordon's secure server. It wasn't complicated to guess his password. He was an electronics dinosaur same as me and I got in on my second try. Meghan#1... not exactly hacker-proof bossman. I__ entered the information and it had bounced back immediately with a hit._

_When I saw the BOLO from Louisiana I nearly shit my shorts. The fucker was a monster. Six foot eight, three hundred five pounds, with unidentified skin pigmentation disorder. I had sat there looking at his photo, reading the bio with my head in my hands when Gordon walked in and slammed the door. He had stood there glaring with one hand on his hip and the other pushing his glasses up in that annoyed gesture of his,"You have something you need to tell me Detective?"_

_I had a lot to tell him and tell him I did. I should have felt guilty about spilling my guts, but what I felt instead was like I let a load off my chest. I knew Selina Kyle wasn't a push over but she didn't have any idea that she would really be running up against in the likes of this loony bastard. Now as we were running hot, lights flashing and the sirens whaling out to the Bowery I felt for the first time like I finally had her back. _

_Gordon and I had already been headed her way in my unmarked while he chewed my ass raw over not telling him about her little operation. __Fuck , but he was pissed. I shut him up by finally agreeing to take him to the address she had provided. __I had already researched it and found it was the Wayfarer hotel. A well known shag pad that could be rented by the hour, day or week. To some of Gotham's criminal element it became home, an address used often on wrap sheets and arrest warrants. _

_Selina seemed to be basing out of there. __We strong armed the manager and entered without a warrant. Gordon turned the room looking for whatever it was that she had left for him with no luck. He ended up in the bathroom staring at the cracked mirror of the medicine cabinet. There was a small piece of tissue wedged in the corner of the glass. He pulled the tissue out and unrolled it. "Nothing," he wadded it up and tossed it into the sink._

_I gave him a quizzical look, "I dont suppose she was military?" I asked._

_Gordon shrugged, "It wouldn't surprise me if she has worn a uniform at some point throughout her life." _

_I had smiled and cranked the hot water on the sink and repeated it with the shower. "Steam sign. It's an old Army trick." Gordon caught on to the act and shut the door. The tiny cramped space filled with steam and we stood there shoulder to shoulder watching as the batsignal appeared on the mirrored surface of the medicine cabinet. Under it was written 'Look behind.'_

_Gordon ripped the medicine cabinet off the wall and behind it was a ragged hole. He reached in and pulled out a plastic bag filled with rolled paper. He threw open the door and I shut off the water. He went to the rickety card table and opened the bag. Inside were drawings of women. Penciled with such clarity and detail they looked ready to take life on the paper and tell their stories themselves. On the back side of each was a map of their territory with the marked location where they were last seen. The last sketch was the Bowery's east side, a comprehensive map of all of the disappearances including the three that had connection to the police. _

_She had a radius circled with sections marked off , Red X's were over areas she had presumably checked. Gordon turned the page and we both just stared at it. Another portrait, not of a woman this time and certainly not of a man. It was an amalgamation of reptile and human morphed together and it was eerily similar to the man's photo that I held up beside it. Gordon and I just looked at one another in silence. Her handwritten notes were to the side._

_'Jerry, I know what you must be thinking as you are looking at this... I was thinking it myself it as I drew it- But this is the description from two people in the Bowery. Elisa attacked five days ago- she is in Gotham general under the alias Melissa Stephens (haha) and a kid from south Elum, Delroy Martin (not kidding I lifted his wallet his name is really Delroy lmao). If you are reading this shit broke loose and you will need to hit up these people and get statements. Start your search in the area I identified on the map. I am nearly certain that he is dumping his kills in the storm drains under the city. Sorry I couldn't be more help than this. __Hopefully we will be lifting a beer together celebrating his arrest and I will be telling you this all in person, if not... well that's the way shit goes sometimes. Tell __Gordon not to let Bats get sideways with you over this. You did me a solid by keeping things quiet. I left a letter for Gordon. See that he gets it please._

_- thanks for everything-_

_S'_

_That was when the call came over the all emergency. _

xxx

When Blake got the call from Bruce he was already in the Bowery too, eight blocks from Selina's last known position. He leapt from the crumpling top of the Hibernia bank building into the inky black of the Gotham night. The fabric of the cape whooped out into the dark wings that marked the only visual dissimilarity from his mentor's iconic uniform. He felt the familiar twist of fear that always accompanied his jumps, only now there was a desperate need that had attached itself to his mission.

_I cannot fuck this up. Not this time._

_From the moment I handed over my ID and claimed the pack filled with climbing gear I had been learning from and about Bruce Wayne. Every day I delved deeper into who the Batman was and what it took to be a man like Bruce Wayne. What I had seen was a man that asked for nothing in repayment for his selfless deeds. The only thing he had ever wanted for himself was Selina Kyle. A woman I had believed to be a nusicence..a threat .. a weakness…_

_I had watched as Alfred, Fox and Gordon were taken in by her act, an obvious con from my experience and I was disappointed in them. I was more disappointed in Wayne, that he would allow himself to be exploited by the likes of her. She was a con artist, a thief and a criminal and she was the one weakness that Bruce Wayne seemed to have. I was disappointed to see a flaw in Wayne's otherwise impenetrable armor. __This feeling nothing but intensified as Selina antagonized, challenged and belittled me._

_Then the night against Scarecrow showed me another side of Selina Kyle. She had fearlessly infiltrated the hive of Scarecrow's thugs and fed us intel. She had stayed beside me when the fight separated me from Bruce. The airborne inhalant had been deployed and the insanity of Crane's drugs turned local thugs into drug fueled lunatics ripping and tearing each other apart. She had dropped in beside me out of nowhere; I was piled under thrashing bodies and suddenly she was there, her face obscured by a mask to protect her from the dust that was exploding out of nearby canisters._

_She was no match for the rage filled mass of men that had covered over me. I knew that and evidently Selina had too. She had spun, twirled and flipped over, around and between the grasping hands in a beautifully seemingly choreographed meld of gymnastics and martial arts._

_ I fought off the remaining two men while the rest pursued Selina down the tight corridor. I scrambled to my feet and kicked one of the thrashing men into the other where they immediately began to fight. I resettled the damaged cowl over my face and started after her, I remember my blood curling at the animatistic sounds of grunting and fighting rage echoing through the corridor._

_I saw her then walking calmly toward me as the men behind her were tangled with one another in a mosh pit of writhing hellish fury. She pulled the protective gas mask off her face and I saw her brilliant smile. She flipped her glasses up over her head and made some smart-ass comment about how she was a lover not a fighter. I had laughed out in relief and then I saw the man running behind her and I reacted. _

_Selina saw it coming and dropped to her knees as my arm flew over her head. The sharp fins on the bracer had breezed dangerously close, slicing through the unlucky stands of her hair that drifted up in the way. I caught the man in a closeline and slammed him to the ground. When I looked over my shoulder, Selina was looking back over hers and we both grinned like idiots. It had been different between us after that. _

_I had began to feel something for her myself. There was more to her, she was deeper than she first lead me to believe. So it wasn't just for Bruce that I felt the pressure to find her now. It was __because she mattered to everyone, myself included. She had damn sure had my back before when I needed it._

_We had stuck beside each other through the rest of the battling insanity that led us to the parking garage. She had held off Crane's flunkies while I hawked down the doctor. I had been so proud of myself, so excited over my success that it had never occurred to me to worry over her. I realized when Fox said she was still in the structure that she had probably went in after me. _

_We hadn't ever spoken of it since, but our relationship was different...it felt like we had reached an understanding. She gave me a hard time and I learned to dish it back. She had my back and thanks to Alfred I was in the perfect position to return the favor._

_I had been floored earlier when Alfred told me Bruce believed Selina was back in Gotham. Alfred had looked both proud and concerned as he told me about Selina's deception. I had just finished my lesson with my martial arts instructor, Alfred guided me away from the shower and into the safe room. He had already activated the sled that held my suit. He had opened it and vented the sanitizing agent from the chamber and was all but forcing me bodily into the confines of the uniform._

_"Best you check up on things and ensure the misses has not overextended herself, shall you?" He had stood by with his hands folded over his chest, his face lined with worry as I dressed. I hadn't been out without Bruce since his return, but I wasn't about to refuse Alfred. Besides if Selina Kyle was down in the Bowery she was liable to be hip deep in shit and actually need a hand, not that she would have ever asked me for help..._

_I had taken the cowl from Alfred's hand and gave him a nod as I slipped it over my face and latched it tightly over the leather facemask. "Master Blake." I paused as Alfred placed his hand on my arm, "Let the missus know that Master Bruce knows of her return."_

_I raised a surprised eyebrow at that and Alfred returned the expression in kind. "Don't make me call in my marker, Master Blake." His warning was clear and I just shook my head understanding exactly what he was driving at, "Not necessary Alfred. I was just surprised you thought I wouldn't let her know on my own. Selina is sticking her neck out without anyone having asked her to do it, and she has done it against Bruce's express wishes. I figure the least I can do is heads her up that there is a pissed off billionaire on her tail. Hell, I might even run a little interference."_

When I heard the call from Fox and received the distress signal over the telecom in the Tumbler I knew she was in it neck deep. She had broadcast across all channels not only her presence in Gotham but her exact coordinates and request for assistance. Her cover was blown and with damn good reason I was sure. She wouldn't have invited a Bruce Wayne ass kicking unless she was in epic need of his help. She all- channeled it so she didn't give a damn who heard the call. It sent an auto distress with her position to the PD as well as all of us. Officers were on site less than a minute later and then came the call, "217 in progress."

x

xxx

Selina had her share of problems, the least of which right now was an angry lover with deep pockets. Selina Kyle had a bigger problem.. much bigger. She had a very big freaking problem. ..an enormous problem in fact...a.. fucking..hulking...goddamn problem.

_Huge... It was one thing to hear a kid say a 'dude was huge' it was another to see 'said dude' taking up the entire expanse of the waterway top to bottom side to side. He was stooping to fit and his damn shoulders were still brushing the top. Fuck me..._

Selina's eyes tracked him as he moved above her. _He didn't move he plodded..trudged… no.. lumbered.. that was the right word. This huge bastard lumbered._ The fact she was under the very surface he was tromping upon simply added to the effect. It was metal grating over the sewage tunnels and the echoing effect of his boots off the surface was the creepiest thing Selina had ever experienced. The fact she was in a tunnel with dead women floating in it and this huge murdering son of a bitch had another woman hanging under his arm made it all the more surreal.

_This was every horror movie I had ever suffered through. The nosey girl who stumbled into the killer's lair while the audience screamed for her to turn back and not go in... just go get the cops .. Get the hell out while the gettin's good... Now I am the dumb broad that hadn't listened._

She had been working the streets for days. Following useless leads from brainless scared street walkers. It wasn't like working girls were overly accommodating when a new woman walked into their territory anyways, but when they were scared they were even more difficult to deal with. She had actually taken a blade from one the day before. Luckily Fox's kevlar bi-weave was all it was cracked up to be. Lucky too that the suit was also sexy as hell and doubled nicely for street wear or she would have been at the hospital for stitches. When she wasn't questioning street-smart hooks and getting knifed in the side, Selina was dodging pimps looking to expand their stables and turning down horny customers waving sweaty wads of money while she scoured the streets looking for information.

Her only reprieve from the smarmy streets were the short moments stolen to touch base with Stephens and talk to Bruce. The last calls with each of the men hadn't been what she wanted them to be. All she had for Stephens was a bunch of nonsense from a women with an IQ under 65 involving exaggerated stories of a trench-coated hulking dreadlocked monster with skin issues. The only thing that lent credibility to her account was the bite mark on her forearm.

She said she had slipped through a chained fence and gotten away from her attacker, but her description left Selina doubting all of her tale. A slightly more reliable and definitely more intelligent source had confirmed some activity near the water treatment plant, a guy matching the same general description minus the lizard skin. He was just a kid, but he was quick and he had been around enough to not get shaken over the sight of a John taking a lay into the tunnels for a quicky.

Young Delroy had run his mouth to her pimp about the girl not coming back out and that was what had brought Selina around to talk. _I had to run his fast ass down twice just to get him to tell me what he saw. Since when did I look like a cop? Once again it was a man in a long coat and fedora slipping into the tunneling system. The kid said he had a woman with him, a redhead. One of my missing fancy ladies was a red head, lost about the same time as the kid remembered seeing the man carrying a woman into the canal by the treatment plant. Carrying... the kid had left that out the first time. When I asked him again he said he __thought she was probably passed out. __Stephens and I both thought it was a crap lead._

Her last call hadn't been what she wanted it to be with Bruce either.

_He was on to me.. He had figured things out, smart bastard that he is.. I had been careful to. Now that he suspected something he would be like a shark with blood in the water. He wouldn't stop searching until he he found the truth and then he wouldn't stop until he found me._

_ I will be walking through the Bowery look up and see a shadow a little darker than the rest and he would appear under those damn devil horns of his, cape flowing acting all holier than thou with his boy scouting, judgement rendering, self-righteous attitude. Bruce 'the Batman' Wayne. _She felt an uncontrollable tremble._ What I wouldn't give to see that man right now...I would happily sit through his judgmental nagging. I would welcomingly face his disappointed anger at me being here because all of those scenes would play out after the monumental ass kicking the two of us would put on this murdering psycho... _

_But Bruce wasn't here and he wouldn't be here because I followed damn pimply-faced Delroy's lead on my own and now I was stuck down here alone. All alone in this pit with a serial killing nutjob with a biting fetish. So it is up to me to stay alive so it wouldn't be Bruce Wayne charged with recovering my chewed up remains from this deadpool._

Selina shook her head and focused on the reality of the situation she was in. _If I don't calm down and start thinking Stephens really will be bringing Bruce down here to collect my body. That is not something I am prepared to do to either him or myself. Im not exactly ready to punch out... I have a lot to live for now..._

Selina shook herself mentally and took a deep silent breath as she rolled her shoulders. _I'm safe... just calm the hell down. I am hidden in the shadows he will never know I am here..._ Her face relaxed and she reined in her emotions concentrating fully on the situation, letting her mind plan the next move.

When she had come down here she had followed a trail of old blood revealed by the biofilter on her visor. She had picked her way carefully, mindful of every detail ensuring that she disturbed nothing. She had buttoned down her uniform and donned her gloves, readying herself for a fight. She had been prepared if she were to come face to face with him, she knew the dangers and she had believed herself ready, until she saw him. She wasn't too proud to admit that she had lost her nerve.

_This bastard was bigger than Bane...by a long shot._

The blonde hair from the woman he carried under his arm drug the grate that Selina crouched under. It caught and hung on the sharp ragged edges pulling the bleached hair out in clumps. The woman never moved, she was already dead. Selina picked her way along after him allowing her footfalls to match his lumbering strides, utilizing the echo to mask her own quiet steps. _Yes that was definitely the word... lumbering..._

She watched from under the grate and started the recording again. She had started the video recording as soon as she had found the bodies. She walked quietly around the women who were in various states of decay, pausing for long moments on each of their faces, panning the length of their bodies to ensure that their garments were recorded in hopes of ID'ing them should something unthinkable happen while she was down here. _Worst case scenario I have all this on video now, including him with his newest kill. I will just have to get to street level to ensure the data uplink gets sent. I had intended on bring this bastard down myself, but now… well fuck that. I saw what Bane did to Bruce when they went toe to toe.. I'll be damned if Im taking this shady looking son of a bitch on down here, all by myself... No fucking way._

Now as she crouched low in the shadows below him she realized how screwed she really was. _This wasn't some skinny-ass, Jeffrey Dahmer, white-boy, creep-mouse killer, this was a massive knuckle-dragging monster. If anything he was bigger than my sources had estimated and that friends is a deal breaker. __I'm__ not a heroine, I don't even have a dog in this fight. I was just supposed to be poking around for information so I'm not engaging this fool to try and effect a citizen's arrest. On the flip side of that, I'm also not an idiot bimbo from a B horror flick that panics and runs tripping and falling while the psycho runs her down with a chainsaw...so that leaves the middle ground... playing it cool._

She crouched lower in the stagnant water as she reassured herself on the prudence of her decision. _Yup, I am__ going to lay up on this one.. I'm just gonna film him, get a firm ID. I might even be a sport and track him out of here.. I will get Stephens on the horn and watch from the cheap seats while Gotham's finest sack up this big bastard. _She relaxed a fraction her nerves settling.

_That is exactly what I am going to do- so the movie audience can just relax and stop screaming at the screen.. I hear you... I am listening... I am laying low and staying quiet and I am going to live to fight another day...and I am not gonna feel a damn bit guilty about it. I am going to leave here, find Bruce, let him yell himself hoarse at me for coming back to Gotham and then I will fuck him until he forgives me... I am going to live happily ever after in a big damn mansion too while I'm at it... and I will forget any of this ever even happened..._

Selina was absolutely fine with her decision until she heard the soft moan come from the woman he carried.

Selina's breath caught and she felt her heart thud so hard that she thought her ears were going to explode from the pressure._ No... I didn't hear that. It's just the fear... the adrenalin that made me think that.. no... please ...please. _Her eyes widened as she watched the woman beginning to struggle. Selina froze, her mouth drying and her heart trip hammering so loud and hard against her breast that she feared he would hear it look down and it would be the end of her.

Selina heard his voice low and animatistic in the echoing chamber, he had an accent and it took her a moment to place. _Creole... Cajun French.. from the bayou... __But, it was more than that, it was garbled like he was talking through a mouth of marbles._ The sound was almost alien as he hissed at the woman to shut her mouth. He dropped her onto the metal grating and gave her a solid kick to her stomach. Selina flinched as she watched the damage that kick caused. The force his boot carried lifted the slender blonde woman off her knees and smashed her into the concrete tunnel walls. Her whooping attempts to draw air filled the cavern with the sound of her struggle.

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck_. Selina's hands trembled as she crept forward, her entire body was rejecting that she was moving closer to the unfolding insanity. _Just huddle down… this is the last one… you will have him… no one would blame you…she is just a street-walker... nobody will__ even miss her. I should- __'_Lay there and take it, Selina_.'_

The words slammed into her mind so hard and clear that she thought for a moment the man had spoken them. But then she realized who's voice she had heard... her father's. His words that had kept her still and frozen in pain and fear... 'L_ay there and take it …don't make this more difficult than it needs to be, Selina...' _She felt the sickness rise up in her throat and she clamped her hand over her mouth before she revealed her position. Only the sound of the struggling woman had camouflaged the small noise. Selina swallowed down the burning bile keeping her hand on her face, her gloved fingertips digging into her cheeks as she struggled to control her emotions.

The man turned and squatted, his fingers laced through the wire grid and he heaved up the walk way. _Holy fuck. He just lifted that like it was nothing, it had to weigh three hundred pounds if it was an ounce._ Selina shrank against the wall and she reached inside her tunic and pressed the panic button on the locator embedded in her suit. _Houston we have a goddamn problem…. Please Fox…. send me some help._

Five grates were lifted and tossed aside as he prepared the pit for his newest victim. He surveyed the site of his women, the swirls of hair and bleached grey skin marbled over with the once bright fabrics of Gotham's working women. He held a small flashlight and he took stock of all of them as he stood with his meaty hand on his hip. He could feel the blood engorging himself as he remembered his time with each of them. His jaw flexed and he ground his teeth. He licked his lips and tasted the blood of his newest. _She was sweet..._ He turned back to claim her and his eyes fixed on the place she had been and he laughed when he realized she was gone. _This one was gamier than the others_. He ran up the walkway the flashlight searching the dark tunnel as he called out for her in his strange guttural voice. He called again and again for her. He called her Candy..

x

x

_xx_

_Hey there Bat/Cat fanatics, Still no Bruce and Selina... __Sorry! _

_The chapter was getting too long and I had to break it up into two... Forgive me!_

_Anytime a chapter gets much over 8k people complain it is too long of a read._

_So... in the meantime I hope you all were not bored with the Stephen's Selina back story, I know he was just a minor character in the movie, but I always liked him. Having him around adds more dynamic to Gordon's character as well I think... Stephens gives him someone to bounce things off of and such... _

_This chapter also added a little more to the Scarecrow story line which (unfortunately for those of you that like action with your romance) ended up on the cutting room floor. I had this enormous detailed fight scene with Crane written and it just didn't fit into the feel of the story as it was developing.. so I junked it... So it goes I guess._

_ But I was able to bring a little of it back in here through Blake's memory and who knows maybe it will be served up as a one shot some day or I might just keep it in your imagination. A lot of the best parts of my stories are better left to your active imaginations .. am I right?! :)_

_Review and let me know what you think of the chapter!_

_-Slingblade-_


	6. Chapter 6

_Hey people! Sorry about the lack of update last week. I am in the process of moving and it sucks!_

_ I promise the next part will make it to you on time because all it needs is some editing and spell checking and it will be ready... (have been anticipating the update.) _

_Jen I see you are having a hard time with the tumblr tag. I reposted the pics on my blog. If you are using a smart phone it will sometimes not pull the tag up try a computer or just scroll through todays (July 3rd) posts and you will see them. There are a few of Wayne manor's Ballroom, Corsica and Selina's banded dress, Monte Carlo and her little gold number, Fox's speedboat and the pricy sports car and some of the killer croc and Gotham's underground. I also through in some of Det Stephens and little Meghan :)_

_Thanks for the reviews on the past chapters and the encouragement to post from koparmano.. I was gonna hold onto the chapter until someone asked and then there you were :)_

_OOmizoomi I appreciate your kind words._

_ I am super pumped to see my faithful are hanging with me through this story! I love to read all of your reviews and get your takes on the story. I was glad to introduce some of you to detective Stephens and bring him more to life for those of us that were already fans:) But enough of all of that... __Lets get on with the get on- _

_Bring on the Killer Croc!  
_

_-Slingblade-_

xxxxx

Fox's Bluetooth in the Mercedes activated and the radio shut off cleanly in the middle of Mary J Blige explaining why she was 'the one.' He verbally over rode the security protocol that prevented any sensitive information from being broadcast indiscriminately through the cabin.

A female mechanized voice sounded through the stereo speaker. '_Priority one request from Kat, immediate evacuation and support needed. Priority one request from Kat, immediate evacuation and support needed.' _Fox jerked the wheel and cut off two lanes of traffic before screeching his diamond white CL65 coupe down the off ramp and wheeling it to the shoulder of the access road. He activated the custom computer system in the console and it connected immediately with Bruce and Blake. "Gentlemen we have a situation. More to the point Kat has a situation, stand by for her coordinates. Be advised I have received a priority one request for backup and extraction."

Fox linked the computer systems and sent her tracking position to the computer terminal in the cave. From there it would be accessable from any transport the men chose to operate. His fingers flew over the small remote keyboard that had illuminated on his black leather steering wheel. It was the same technology employed in the safehouse. The lightboard was the next generation in cyber technology, Apple was beta testing their version now. Their version happened to be the grandfather to the technology Lucius was using at this very moment and it was his tech staff at Wayne Enterprises that had developed the original concept. Apple had purchased the rights from WE for a tidy sum of cash.

Fox accessed the police broad band and the radio chatter between dispatch and field officers filled the sleek cabin of the Benz. A call came over the air less than three minutes later. "Dispatch this is Mike 23 we have a 217 reported in progress."

Fox pulled up the PD's codes and trailed down the list his eyes widened slightly as he read, '_217_ _assault with attempt to murder' _He keyed the radio connection with both Bruce and Blake, "All channels Confirm your response time to location."

"Bat two en route eta 7 minutes."

"Bat one en route eta 18 minutes."

Fox felt his stomach tighten as the police broad band activated and the female dispatcher's disembodied voice sounded over the all emergency channel, "All units... all units we have a 217 repeat 217 in progress in vicinity of Garfield Blvd and 55th. Reports the perp could be in the sewer system. Break. All units in the vicinity are authorized to respond 10-39. Repeat Possible 217 in progress. Suspect is assumed 918V. Suspect assumed 918V armed and considered extremely dangerous. All units stand by for transmission of BOLO. Sector units Charlie 45 and Henry 53 please respond."

Fox listened intently as the duty officers in the sector responded with a three minute and five minute eta respectively. He searched the other codes and his color grew more ashen as he read, _918v...Violently insane suspect... 10-39 lights and sirens... _He intercepted the video feed being sent out to the patrol officer's computers.

_Waylon Jones..._ Fox scanned the bio and wrap sheet but his eyes were drawn back up to the photo. The protrusion over Waylon's brow was prominent, almost Neanderthal-like, his skin was blotchy and uneven. He was obviously african american but with some severe form of skin affliction. Fox considered the the medical information included in the bio and his thoughts ran immediately to Atavism. It was a genetic condition that caused the reappearance of primitive traits in an organism after several generations of evolutionary absence. _It was rare in humans, but not unheard of and I am looking a man that is presenting with symptoms of it right now_.

Fox snapped back to rapt attention when Gordon's voice sounded over the scanner, "This is commissioner Gordon, all responding officers are authorized to use any necessary force to apprehend suspect. No solo patrols are to pursue in the tunnels. Wait for backup." There was a pause, "Officers be advised there is an undercover responder at the scene engaging suspect, repeat undercover responder may be engaging suspect. Causation female, early thirties, black over brown."

Fox pulled up a secured video transmission from Kat, it had remotely loaded into his server. He scanned the images quickly. They were night vision images from her visor. Images of women floating in water. He shut his eyes for a moment as he setteled himself. He returned his attention to the video and forward the feed until the angle changed as Selina slid under the grating and Waylon Jones appeared.

He saw the woman slung under his arm and Lucius sped the video faster, seeing the woman awaken and get manhandled by the sadistic criminal. He knew what was going to follow and sat impassively and watched as Selina Kyle intervened.

The last eight minutes of the video were filmed as the liberated woman stumbled her way out of the tunnel wearing Selina's visor and carrying the remote locator. She was found outside a Convenient Food Mart screaming up through the grating in the sidewalk. The opening gave the communicator a link to the satellite and that was when it connected with Selina's position. The video loaded up shortly after.

Fox pushed the video forward to real-time and watched as police arrived and pulled the blonde woman from the tunnel. She was nearly hysterical and the video whipped around as she took off the glasses and the camera tried to track images as she swung her arms about while she communicated with the police officer.

He focused on the audio and was finally able to understand what she was saying. She was saying that there was another woman down there and that she was trapped. She pled with the officer to go and save her. She collapsed to her knees sobbing. She was overwrought and bleeding badly from bite wounds on her neck and arms, Fox had caught glimpses of her injuries as the camera recorded random images around the scene as she turned the glasses over in her hands.

Fox activated the comlink, "Be advised team the beacon is not Kat's current position. She rescued a woman and sent her out with her locator. I am linking you with the origin point of the signal overlaid with a map of the tunnels. You will have to track her from there. Be advised the subject was aware of Kat and was and in close pursuit headed west from that location."

Bruce listened to the call as he piloted the Bat, his gloved hands tightened on the yoke and he trimmed it out faster sacrificing stealth for speed as he soared above the skyline of Gotham. The turbines roared from the strain of the load. He normally would have never attempted to fly without the cover offered by the tall buildings of Gotham, but he did not give a damn right now about anything but speed as he pushed hard toward Selina's last known location.

He switched to autopilot and accessed the sewer maps, utilizing the computer coordinates provided by the uplink on Selina's transponder to coordinate with the map Gordon had recovered in Selina's room. He had texted the picture to Wayne's phone and the satellite routed it directly to the Bat's computer system.

Bruce searched possible alternate routes from the origination of the woman's trek out of the tunnels. Fox said they were moving west. Waylon was chasing her away from multiple exit points into a deeper portion of the drainage system. Bruce paused as his eyes narrowed, _He was chasing her...or was she leading him? Baiting him... drawing him toward.. where?_ Bruce scanned the map and his eyes fell of on the water treatment plant.

She would have known the lay of the land before she ever went into the tunnel... if there was one thing Selina Kyle was it was meticulous in her preparation. So she would know that it was there, she would realize that would be her best option. She would forgo the twists, turns of the channels and aquifers, and go for a straight shot to where the pipes widened and the drainage systems dumped into the treatment plant. She would want to get him out into the open. Get somewhere that she could maneuver. She would realize that if she was going to have any chance at all in facing him down she would need him out of the close confines of the tunnel and somewhere she could utilize her speed and skills to the fullest. His size alone would overwhelm her in close quarters hand-to-hand combat.

He forced down the panic that threatened as he imagined Selina in the tunnels trapped with Waylon. _I__f he got his hands on her in there she was dead, she would never break free. He would overwhelm her with his size, crush her under his weight... and then it would be his teeth ripping through her flesh._ Bruce shook himself away from those thoughts violently slinging his head as if to physically dislodge the repellant thoughts from his mind.

_She is resourceful and strong... she can handle herself._ He took little comfort in his own reassurances as his mind conjured in detail the photos of Blake's friend, the Gotham police officer that had been victimized by the murder dubbed, Killer Croc. The brutal end she faced at his hands and the savageness of her final moments were consuming him.

He forced himself to focus as he resumed control and dipped the yoke, twisting the menacing black craft between two enormous tanks of potable water, landing on the outside perimeter of the treatment plant.

X

Gordon and Stephens went in through the open drain knowing SWAT teams were still five minutes out. The uniform officer stayed with the woman awaiting the approaching ambulance. Before Stephens dropped down into the grate, the woman shoved the goggles into his hand along with the transponder. She stuttered out that they belonged to the Catwoman. "She saved me. The Catwoman. She is not dead like everyone said. It was her, I know it. Help her, please... Please hurry."

The horror and disgust of seeing the dump where Waylon had left the women still clung to them both. Gordon had forgotten all he ever knew about tactical navigation as he ran through the dark tunnels at breakneck speed. The methodical sweeping of corners and security coverage techniques he depended on for years to see him safely through crack houses and dangerous alleys went out the window with the knowledge that man or monster that had murdered those women was loose down here hunting Selina Kyle.

He had looked up from the water where he knelt over the women his hand wiping his lips as he forced himself not to react physically to the sights and smells of the scene. He had met Gerald's strained gaze,"We have to makeup time. Stay on my six, Jerry. Lets get this son of a bitch." All of their collective experience from the GPD told the veteran officers that they needed to move and move fast if they hoped to reach Selina before she became the next victim of a sadistic serial killer.

Gordon had his wrists crossed with his right hand gripping his pistol and left clamped on the long handle of the mag flash light illuminating their path as he ran. Stephens mirrored that pose covering the police commissioner from behind as they hustled deeper into the aquifers.

xxxxx

She had him down. Waylon Jones was on his knees, and Selina was behind him with her foot braced between his shoulder blades at the base of his neck. Bruce froze on the skywalk above her watching as the scene unfolded.

He had sat down the Bat in the east end of the facility, using a device from his belt to shear through the latch that held shut the six-foot by six-foot roof access vent. He dropped down two levels when he first heard her scream. His blood ran cold in his veins as the sound echoed off the walls of the treatment plant.

There was something about a woman's scream that unnerved him like nothing else. He knew it stemmed from the night with his parents, his mother's scream born from anguish and pain, fear and loss. It haunted him still. Now it was Selina's scream piercing the darkness. He ran to the edge of the catwalk and he saw them below.

Again, her voice filled the air and he realized with grim pride that it was not a scream of anguish or pain it was primal celebration, a scream of triumphant exertion. Her rage and anger given voice in her victory and it ripped through the air like the shriek of a jungle cat. _She had him and she knew it._

He did not see how she had taken Waylon down, but there was a heavy chain wrapped at his knees and ankles. Bruce's attention was drawn from that chain to the one Selina currently had wrapped around his head. She had the links twisted around her fists and she was pulling back with everything she had while she buried her stiletto boot heel deeper into the muscles of his back.

Bruce heard her words clearly as she hissed, "Three times a day you will think of me, Swamp thing." Bruce realized what she meant when he saw the chain tighten and she worked the links into his mouth. _Three times a day...Breakfast, lunch and dinner. There would never be another meal time that Waylon Jones didn't think of her... because there would never be another meal Waylon Jones didn't drink through a straw_.

Bruce flinched at the sight and sound of teeth tumbling across the floor. The rattle as they scattered across the metal grates and then the individual plunks as they dropped through into the sewer water beneath was unsettling.

Waylon's roar of rage and pain filled the room echoing off the barren concrete walls. His reaction to her assault was violent, he surged forward taking Selina with him, she did not resist, instead she used the momentum to position herself higher, planting her other knee on his shoulder as she leveraged down. She forced his bottom jaw open and finished the job on his dental work, clearing his lower teeth from his mouth like kernels shucked off a corncob.

Waylon swung his arms wildly; catching the chain with his left hand and jerking it from her grasp.

Bruce climbed up on the railing and nearly made the jump, but hesitated as he watched Selina leap off Waylon's back in a graceful arch as she executed a back handspring that landed her well clear of his flailing arms.

She came to rest in a low crouch, her knees absorbing the impact of the maneuver. Bruce thought for a moment that his heart was going to burst out of his chest at the sight of her as she landed. One hand planted lightly on the floor as her legs coiled readying her to launch in any direction. Her head tilted as she watched Waylon struggle to his feet.

When she stood it was a slow, smooth controlled rise and a smile curled her red lips.

Waylon staggered forward,kicking loose from the metal bindings as he spat out the heavy iron links of the chain along with shattered remnants of teeth. He spun to face her screaming incoherently as his mind tried to reconcile what had been done to him and that she was the one responsible. "You can't do this to me!"

It occurred to Bruce then that Waylon, an import from Louisiana, might not even know who this woman was that was currently taking him apart under Gotham City. She was without her trademark goggles and her hair was short and black, but there would be no question to any Gothamite that this was the Catwoman.

As if to remove any further doubt as to her identity, she deployed her claws. The sound of the ten blades unsheathing was tantamount to the sound of a shotgun racking. It was a sound that brought a person's spine straight and put them instantly on edge. It did all that to Wayne and he was in full armor thirty-five feet above her.

Waylon had started for her and now he faltered, suddenly unsure as he seemed to be rethinking his attack. Bruce felt his lip curl in a sneer as he held himself still. _I can only imagine the satisfaction Selina found in that. This killer that had victimized countless women, praying upon on their fear was now the hunted.. now he was the one that was afraid._

I watched as she circled him, she had the dock wall to her back now and she had given him an obvious avenue of escape. With her back against the wall, Waylon now had a clear path to the tunnels. He looked quickly over his shoulder as if he was considering retreat as a possibility.

Selina laughed, "Go ahead and run you piece of shit. I _want_ you to. I want you to know what it feels like to run for your life." There was none of the playful urging I had seen before as Selina tempted her marks to rush her... she was ready to bring the fight to him...she was looking for an opening to bring him down. Selina Kyle was not playing anymore.

Waylon looked back at her, panting as a long line of blood and drool streamed from his devastated mouth.

She flashed her teeth at him running her tongue over the bright white perfection that was her smile. " I want you to run, Swamp thing... run like those women ran from you all those times. I want you to run because I am going to be on you before you make it to that tunnel and I'm going to take these," She flexed her fingers flashing the blades in the low light of the room, "And I am going to rip you apart with them while you beg me for your life... and I'm gonna fucking laugh while I do it."

I felt my legs tense as I prepared for the leap that would drop me between them. _ She wasn't a damsel in distress she had fought this guy to a stand still..she had earned __this moment and I wanted her to have it, but_ I wouldn't stand by and have him lay even a finger on her, not a single finger.

I saw the green dot appear on the peripheral of my visor's visual feed and I knew Blake had made it to the show. I activated my comlink and whispered quietly, "Hold position Bat two."

x

Blake was moving toward her when he heard the message in his ear, "Hold position Bat 2. " Even as he recognized the voice of his mentor, Blake kept moving toward Selina and again the voice came, "Hold position two. She has this."

I knew if our communications were connecting Bruce was seeing what I was seeing. I did not bother scanning the room for his position, he was here and he was making the call. No one needed to tell me why he was letting this play out like he was either. The words of the retired officer came into my mind when she scolded Bruce about intervening when it wasn't needed. '_She didn't need a character in a cape swooping in and saving the day when the day didn't need saving.' _

I slipped along the dark perimeter wall and watched, fighting the urge I had to intervene. I wanted to avenge Bethany. I realized as I watched Selina that _she __was_ Bethany's vengeance. This murder of women had met his match in this woman. He deserved to fall in front of her and know that it was her and her alone that had brought him down.

I felt my stomach tighten and I prayed to God Bruce knew what he was doing when Selina and the croc ran toward one another.

X

_That bitch... standing there threatening me... mocking me..telling him me I would beg.. everything with my childhood flooded back.. My aunt's abuse... her mocking laugher at my deformities...her hate. It spewed from the woman before me like it had from the rest of the bitches I had killed. She become the woman that terrorized my childhood and haunted my life... she became the face of my pain...she was the reason for it all and she would pay the price for what she had done to me._

He was running at her nearly blind with rage his arms spread wide his jaw snapping with the need to bite into her flesh. The pain of the jagged remnants of his upper teeth slicing into the hamburgered gums of his lower jaw was not enough to bring him out of his state. Blood spurted into his mouth and the taste of it only further fueled his homicidal fury.

_This one... she had caused it all. .. her... she was the one.. she was laughing at me .. she made me powerless.. she was to blame.. she hurt me..._

His huge hands curled into hooks as he grabbed for her, but she vanished. His head whipped down as the flash of black hurdled past his knee. He tried to kick out at her, but his leg collapsed.

x

Selina knew he was coming before he did. She was already running toward him, her right arm cocked and ready, the claws poised to slice, her left hand curled protectively into her stomach.

She knew that she had to do this on the fly; he was too big to try a stationary take down. In the seconds before they met her mind cleared of all the white noise and pain as she pushed aside the pulsing ache in her wrist and the fear gripping her heart and she centered her mind and focused on this one moment._ Everything I have been and everything I ever will be exists only in this moment._

x

Gordon and Stephens broke into the room right as the two met. It was too dangerous to take a shot, but both he and Stephens locked their weapons on Waylon.

x

She dropped and slid to the side, leg trapping him as they collided. His momentum rolled them both and it looked to Blake like she had miss calculated when the trap collapsed and they tumbled across the floor toward the dock doors. Waylon landed above her and he reached into his belt and secured three batarangs, his arm was already moving to throw when he realized Selina had Waylon right where she wanted him.

She leveraged her position on the floor and kicked out with both legs. She used the floor to brace herself and give her the leverage she needed to heave the huge man off her and up against the roll up vehicle door. His body slammed against the activation button and the automatic door started to ratchet up.

Selina shot a grappling hook out of the arm brace around her wrist. One of the triangle barbs smashed into the door just to the right of his hip, another hit beside his head on the left, and the third penetrated through his left thigh. The door continued to rise and the heavy wire lifted him along with it. As he struggled to escape his long dread locks caught in the lift chain and fed into the drive cogs. The metal sprockets chewed into the heavy bands of his hair, snapping and ripping the twisted braids, from his scalp.

His bellow of rage turned to an agonized shriek as a mass of hair caught and pinned his head against the steel door. The heavy metal cable that she had deployed had begun to wind into the enormous sprockets as well. It pulled tight against his body and lashed him securely against the metal door.

Blake watched as Selina calmly released the cable from the wrist device as it began to pull her across the floor. She watched with a satisfied smirk from her position sprawled across the concrete floor as the door traveled higher and the unforgiving wire tightened and began to slicing through Waylon's clothes and into his skin. Blood ribbons appeared as the metal bands pulled through the heavy trench coat and the leggings of his military fatigues.

Gordon rushed across the room and slammed the emergency stop.

Selina did not look surprised at all to see him or Stephen's. She even gave Gordon a little wave of acknowledgement before smiling wearily up at the detective that appeared at her side. He took stock of her condition and finding her alive and apparently well, grinned back down at her, "You know you are totally insane don't you?" He shook his head in disbelief and admiration, "Christ almighty! Are you alright?"

Selina laid her head back on the damp concrete and exhaled, "Never better, Jerry."

X

Selina collected herself for a moment before shifting up to her elbows. She looked between the two men, "I don't mind saying I am happy to see you guys." She reached up her right hand and Stephens hoisted her to her feet, scanning her again for any signs of damage as he helped her find her balance.

Gordon looked up at the huge man pinned against the door and holstered his weapon. He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled a breath before looking over at Selina, "You realize you had some people really worried about you?"

Selina looked self-conscious, but nodded that she understood, "Honestly... I had me worried about me. I didn't exactly plan things out like this intentionally, Jim." She glanced over at the detective as he handed her the glasses and locating device she had given the woman. She took them and looked up at him with a slight raise of her brow, "Guess she made it out ok?"

Stephens nodded and said quietly, "Yeah she did. Thanks to you."

Gordon grunted as he rubbed the back of his neck, "We need to get word out that _you_ are alright and we need to do it pronto, or your boyfriend is liable to string all three of us up right beside big boy over there."

Selina and Stephens smiled at one another covertly as Gordon tried his cell and then his radio and was not able to connect with either device. He finally knelt under the open dock door and got a signal. He sent a message to Bruce and Fox. "Kat is fine. Suspect in custody. Water treatment plant near induct eleven. He switched over to his radio and called out suspect in custody and requested first responders and an armored transport unit.

Selina walked to the furthest corridor intending to miss the arriving officers as the first wail of sirens heralded the approach of personnel to the scene. The fading adrenaline surge had left her feeling weak and rubbery. Stephens had noticed it and even asked to assist her back to her hotel. Selina refused of course.

Now as she was walking alone down the dark corridor she was rethinking that decision. She leaned heavy on the wall of the tunnel sliding her right hand along the rough concrete as she moved, using it to help steady herself as she walked. She had tucked Gordon's heavy mag light that he insisted she take, under her left arm finding that her wrist hurt now so much that she could not support the weight in her hand. She curled the hand into her belt and used it as a makeshift sling to keep the injured wrist immobilized.

She followed the dark tunnel guided by the flashlight, but when she saw the flash of lightning off the walls ahead she clicked it off. There was enough activity down here she didn't need to draw more attention to herself. Her feet splashed through the puddles as her need for stealth was over, the sound of traffic and thunder from a storm masked her effectively enough. It had started to rain and the tunnel was beginning to slowly fill with the run off, it was only a few inches deep as the accumulation began to connect the random puddles of water. She looked down at the dark water and then up at the grate above her. Small droplets pattered gently down into the tunnel. She could feel the traffic rumbling above and she sighed._ It was finally over._

She heard voices and she waited her head cocked as she debated what she should do. She glanced down the tunnel and sighed again, her feet were numb and she was starting to feel chilled. It was March in Gotham and the evenings were still cool as spring weather had not yet reached the city. She had been dunked several times in the course of events and she was soggy and exhausted.

She watched the flash of light blink off the dark walls a loud thunderclap boomed. She let the rain patter on her face and for a moment she just stood there as the water washed down over her. She shut her eyes and watched through her closed lids as the lightning flashed brightly. She focused on the hum of car motors and waiting for the corresponding clap of thunder. It came and she felt herself relax as she imagined being in her old purple charger with the rain dotting the windshield, the wipers swiping rhythmically across the glass, radio playing lightly as she rolled out of the Bowery.

_Where would I be headed to once I left the Bowery? That was actually a good question_.. Suddenly she was not entirely sure what to do with herself.

She blinked her eyes open and looked around as she tried to decide what her next move should be. _Bruce was going to be pissed. There wasn't anywhere that I had setup that he wouldn't be able to find me, but the hardest thing was knowing he might not want to find me.. Gordon said that both he and Blake were en route but neither had ever showed. Maybe he was that angry... that disappointed in me._

Suddenly the thought of being in the mansion and him _not_ coming to her seemed unthinkable.

_I would rather he not know where I was than go all the way out to the Palisades ... lay awake all night and he not show. Then what.. hide from the construction workers in the cave surrounded by damn rabies infested bats. Another dark pit, freezing my ass off.. No thanks... But I __ can't go back to the Wayfarer either. Gordon and Stephens rolled my room. The managers there would bounce anyone that brought the cops down on them. There was too much nefarious business operating out of there to have someone sloppy bringing the heat down on everyone else. Besides, it was freaking disgusting there anyways._

She looked at the grate critically and it occurred to her that she was going to have a hell of a time climbing out of here with a hurt wrist and no grappling device. It might be a long wandering walk through the tunnels before she found another outlet she could manage to get out of, "Shit." Selina swore softly as she dropped her head in defeat. She planted her hand on her hip and stared dejectedly into the dark water rippling around her boots.

She felt the weight of everything on her and suddenly the thought of sitting right where she was seemed the best option. _I just need to sit for a minute and collect my though_ts. She pressed hard against the wall behind her and slid down until her bottom rested on the back of her boots. _I just need a minute… a minute to get my mind right. I had been so scared back there I had not even given a thought to what the hell I was going to do next. Hell I am still shaking. I need to calm down and think. I lived through it and now its all over and I need to get a damn grip on myself._

She shut her eyes and dropped her forehead to her arms that had wrapped around her knees. Her mind drifted and she only vaguely registered that the drizzle had turned into a shower. She didn't feel the rain droplets, she just let the comforting sound of the rain lull her as it pattered down over her armored suit.

Selina heard the soft echo of boots and felt something brush her knee. Her right hand flinched reflexively to where her holster should have been. Her eyes snapped opened and she blinked away the droplets of water that collected on her eyelashes. She saw the hulking shadow of the Batman. They looked at one another for a long moment.

He knelt beside her and she felt the weight of his hand on her shoulder. She looked groggily over at his gloved hand. It felt surreal and Selina realized then that she was dreaming. She shook her head and dropped her chin back down on her arms as she mumbled, "You're not real." She felt her weight shift as the hand shook her, she lifted her head up again, and there were two piercing green eyes searching her face from within the depths of the cowl.

His voice .

Selina tried to get her brain back in action and said the first thing that came to mind, "I want my gun back." It came out in a long slur of '_Iwonmygunback_.'

Bruce responded with an unexpected agreement, "Yes."

x

I knelt beside her, slipped off my glove and touched her cheek. I was alarmed at the coolness of her skin. I asked her again if she was all right and she did not respond. She just shut her eyes and leaned her face into my hand, turning so it covered her nose and lips. I cupped her chin and tilted her face up to mine, demanding she speak. "Selina, answer me. Are you hurt?" Another slur of words sounding vaguely like 'I_ don't think so'_.

I peered into her eyes and if not for the situation I would have sworn she was high. Her eyes were glassy and the black pupils were blown so large there was only a hint of brown that rimmed the sides. I gathered her closer studying her sluggish response as I turned her head and she tried to track the movement, "You are in shock kitten. I need to get you out of here."

She might have agreed or maybe she didn't, either way it would not have mattered, I was already pulling her to her feet. I apologized when she flinched away from the pressure, I exerted on her left wrist. The pain must have brought her back to her senses because she was suddenly more alert and aware. She swatted away my hands when she realized that I was intent on carrying her. I had no problem understanding her next words as she enunciated loud and clear.

" Screw that Bats. I will be damned if I am carried out of here like a victim. If you wanna carry somebody, go sack up that scaly-looking fucker and throw him over your shoulder. I am going out the way I came in, under my own power on my own two feet."

We glared at each other and came to a silent compromise of my arm around her shoulders and hers around my waist. I led her down the twisting tunnel using the tracker with florescent markers I deployed on my nerve wracking race to find her. The water was rapidly filling the tunnel now and it was at our knees and moving swiftly. She stumbled and I caught her as she lost her balance several times. I resettled her back on her feet holding her firmly at my side. I was faced with the choice of slowing to her pace or going to war with her over our exit strategy. By the time we arrived at my access point she was leaning heavily against me and her pace was slow enough to make me clinically insane.

_Holy hell we are both so stubborn. I don't know how we have ever made it this far together with neither of us ever wanting to give a damn inch._ I was so grateful to see the opening in the tunnel that I nearly cursed in relief. I glanced down at her and saw that she wasn't even looking up anymore. Her head was pressed against the armor plate over my heart. It was just as well, she was in no shape to climb out of here anyway and I was done placating her.

I felt Bruce stop and realized he had the grappling gun in his hand, seconds later we were airborne and he was hefting me one-handed out of the storm grate and onto the street. I sat on the lip of the grate for a moment with my legs dangling down as I gathered my bearings and tried to adjust to being on the surface of the earth again.

I felt his hands under my arms and he was lifting me onto my feet. He kept an arm under mine and pressed me again hard to his side. I tried to tell him I could walk fine now that the water obstacle was gone, but he was insistent. I mumbled something about him being a pushy boy scout and he growled at me. Truthfully, his arm was welcomed support as he led me to the hulking aircraft. I eyed it with trepidation as the canopy slid open and the ladder unfolded. _This was going to be a challenge._

"Can you climb?"

I gave him a withering look when he had the audacity to ask a loud the very question I had been just been posing to myself. He gave me a look daring me to lie to him. The sarcasm died on my lips but played loudly in my mind, _Can I climb? Really Wayne? You just asked the Catwoman of all people if she could climb a little 'ole six rung ladder? Bitch please._

I shoved off him and managed not to stagger as I walked over to the ladder under my own steam. I winced as my left hand grasped the second steel rung. I reversed my grip and then stepped up. I felt Bruce at my back pressing against me, his left arm slipped under mine, gripping the steel ladder securely. His position allowed me to support my weight against his bicep with my upper arm and elbow so I didn't have to try to take the pressure on my injured wrist.

_Alright that was pretty nice of him_. I gave him a look of appreciation over my shoulder and he just lifted his chin and rasped out a single word, "Climb."

I laughed, "I nearly forgot how charming you can be sometimes."

xxxx

_The Bat and the Cat are back!_

_Who do you love? Me I hope.. _

_All of you were so patient waiting for Bruce and Selina to get their crap together and get back on track... Gee I hope something else bad doesnt happen on the way up the ladder and they breakup or something... __insert evil laugh here ...MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA_

_I hope you enjoyed a little action with the Killer Croc. I haven't ever seen him written in a Nolan universe fiction so I wanted to give it a try._

_Remember reviews are Batcrack for fanfiction writers - Give me a hit... i'm jonesing for your comments!_

_PS I included some images I found for this chapter on Tumblr search tag: slingblade125batcat_


	7. Chapter 7

_Apologies for keeping you waiting on the chapter. _

_I packed up the Mac in my move and had to unearth it before I was able to get into editing. Forgive any mistakes- I will comb through it again later, I just wanted you all to have it going into the weekend. As always please review and let me know how the story is tracking. I love to hear from you guys. It's nice to know that readers are out their following the story. _

_Got some feedback on the first person perspective and I agreed. I edited the chapter for better story continuity- thanks for the call out Anon. I did leave the end in Bruce's perspective, I wanted us to get inside his thoughts..._

_ For my Russian reader/reviewer: К моему русскому читателю ... Спасибо за Ваши добрые слова и ваши отзывы! Я люблю их! Можете ли вы читать сказку на английском языке или у вас есть, чтобы запустить его через переводчика в первую очередь? В любом случае я впечатлен!_

_Avid2dr I appreciate the support you are showing the story. I like the idea of Bruce and Meghan having some time together- I know Landscaper01 will be all for that.. she is a sucker for Bruce and the little lady:)_

___Whiterosescorner I loved your Tumblr review ! Thanks for the encouragement:)_

___Hope you all enjoy the read and have a fantastic weekend!_

_-Slingblade-_

_x_

_xx_

The flight in the Bat was as unnerving to Selina as the first time she flew with Bruce, however this time she was shaking not from fear, but from cold. She finally told him about halfway to their destination that she was dying of frostbite, "It's a meat locker back here, Bruce."

He glanced up at the display of her in the seat behind him as he adjusted the controls. A stronger current of warm air filled the rear of the compartment, but Selina was still shivering uncontrollably by the time they landed. She had pulled off her gloves and had her hands pressed over the vents, but it had done little to alleviate the chill she felt. Selina couldn't help but be reminded of their night in the metallurgy as she tried to flex her numb fingers. She bit back the urge to share that little tidbit, as Bruce did not seem to be in the talking mood. It was for the best anyways, every time she tried to string more than a few words together her tongue felt thick in her mouth and and her words slurred.

As they crashed through the wall of water that camouflaged the cave, Selina peered around the natural cavern wishing she felt chipper enough to ask for a guided tour of the underground facility.

Bruce sat the craft down and the canopy was lifting before the turbine engines even began to wind down. Selina felt around for the release her harness and the clasp slipped through her numb fingers. Bruce released it for her and she let her annoyance show, muttering, " I had it," through chattering teeth. That was evidently the last of Selina Kyle's attitude that Bruce was prepared to deal with because he pulled her bodily out of her seat and told her to shut up. He actually said to '_stop talking_' but what Selina heard and what she understood him to mean was 'shut up'. _Screw it. I didn't feel like talking anyways. _

He extended his unwillingness to engage Selina in an argument by not opening discussions on how they were going to make their exit from the plane. He growled out, "Hold on"and jumped them off the aircraft. Selina's reactions had slowed, but she still managed to hook her left leg over his thigh and grab his utility belt before the cape deployed.

She need not have bothered with her anchor points as they were redundant supports. Bruce had her pinned securely to his chest, his arms wrapped like iron bands at her waist and shoulders tucking her tightly against him. He sailed them expertly over the expanse of water that surrounded the landing pad to the computer command center where he landed gracefully despite supporting her additional weight. Selina released him and dropped her feet down, but he kept his arms tight around her not acknowledging that she was attempting to stand on her own. He kept her pressed against him, Selina's booted feet remained suspended several inches off the ground. She heard a door slide open behind them and realized she had missed a room during her previous recon of the cave. She twisted and looked behind them as he carried her up a small run of stairs.

_I hadn't minded the express route down from the Bat as the idea of climbing down frankly sucked, but I didn't need to be carried around like an invalid. She _kicked to get loose pushing against him with her uninjured hand as she grumbled, "Let me down tough guy." He didn't respond to her demand, he just kept walking. She could tell by the press of his lips and the strumming muscles in his jaw that he was angry. His anger did not help matters any at all. _I am not in the mood for macho bullshit. I had a rough night tonight and a bad week in general. I feel like crap and I hate being carried. _It made her feel insignificant and powerless. She felt the anger pooling in her gut and used it to sharpen her focus. She pushed harder against his chest and nearly leveraged free from his grip.

Bruce spun and pressed her against the hard rock wall. "Stop, Selina… Stop right now. I am barely staying hooked up as it is."

She met his fierce gaze with one of her own. _Now we were both pissed. _Selina's voice was low growl,_ "_I'm serious, Bruce. Let me down." There was a long pregnant moment while they faced off against one another. Selina could feel his warm breath against her face and then it was the feel of his scorching skin as his lips covered hers. She realized then how cold she was as the steady firm press of his mouth called attention to shivering of her jaw. Even the metal of the cowl seemed warm against the chill of her cheek as it pressed against her skin as his mouth moved against hers. In just those few seconds he took her from fighting his embrace to practically crawling up his body as she fought to bring him closer. She wanted to feel more of his skin against hers and she made an attempt to remove his cowl before he captured her fingers in his gloved hand reminding her gently, "Careful of the safeguards."

At some point, he must have started walking again because the next thing she knew they were passing through another door into a utility room. She felt his lips leave hers and her eyes blinked open. She heard the cowl clank off the rock floor and he returned to kiss her again. His face was impossibly warm. Selina pressed closer, relishing the heat of his skin against her own. She wanted to feel him everywhere against her and nuzzled her face into the soft spot between his ear and jaw. His ungloved hand gripped the nape of her neck holding her steady, she moaned her approval at the contact. She felt him shift his grip and watched as he pulled his other glove off with his teeth dropping it carelessly onto the floor.

His newly freed hand came up immediately covering her cheek with its warmth,"You are frozen kitten." His voice rumbled out of his chest and she felt herself shutter. Her reaction had nothing to do with the temperature of her body and everything to do with the man that held her in his arms. _I suddenly didn't care that I was being carried, nothing mattered except getting closer to him._

She heard water echoing off the rock walls and had the vision of him walking them through the cold fall of water, and she again squirmed in his arms trying to find the ground with her feet. His hand was cupping her bottom and he held her steady against his body. _Now I would argue about any point and engage Bruce in a fight sometimes just for the sport of it, but this was not something I cared to dispute any further. Carry me if you want to Wayne...Grab my cold ass if it makes you happy... If I wasn't so numb, I'm sure I would be enjoying the attention._

He walked them into the falling water uniforms and all. She braced for the shock of cold and it took her a moment to realize that the water that rained down over them was heated. Steam rippled off the stone as Bruce stood there supporting her in her arms. His mouth found hers again and Selina returned his urgent kiss. She realized from the feel of his face and hands and the searing burn of his kiss that the shower was solely for her benefit. He radiated heat like a furnace from beneath the suit. She wrapped her hand around his neck enjoying the returning of feeling to her fingers. She fisted her hand in the dark perfection that was his Bruce Wayne's hair and he rewarded her with a low grow.

The heady mix of passion was overwhelming, coupling that with the events of the night left her head swimming. As he broke away from her lips, he said something she didn't catch. She looked around them confused, realizing then how disconnected she felt. _Bruce might not have been wrong earlier... maybe I was in shock._ She tried to recall the flight to the cave and found that her memory was choppy. Truthfully, she wasn't entirely sure how they had gotten out of the tunnels. _I remembered him lifting me out but everything before was foggy like a disjointed dream. Shock... Wasn't memory impairment a symptom of shock? Shit if I could remember._ She laughed a little at that irony, it was a brittle broken laugh that had more than a crazy edge to it especially with the strange echo in the cave. That sound was enough to sober her and it suddenly made everything very unfunny.

She squirmed against him again, pulling him closer. She laid her cheek against his and wrapped herself tighter around him. She heard his gravely voice in her ear, "I have you, Selina. You are safe now." She nearly fought that sentiment. _If I had felt better, I would have let him have it with both barrels. I was doing just fine before you found me buckaroo... Kicking ass and taking names thank you very little. _She did not argue the point because for the first time since that call in Florence, she felt the knot of fear in her stomach untangling._ I can't deny it...I feel safe with him...only with him_

As he kissed her again she heard a needy moan escape her throat and she felt her control slipping. _Damn if that doesn't piss me off_ . She tried to lock down her emotions. _Falling apart now would do nothing to reassure to him that I could handle myself. Going to pieces was not an option. I still have not forgiven myself for my little episode on the penthouse rooftop. I will be damned if I reprised my role tonight as the helpless female. _She broke away from his kiss and pushed hard against the insignia emblazoned across his chest, "Put me down, Bruce."

His hands gripped her firmly and held her still. Even through the heavy armor that covered him she could feel the rise and fall of his chest under the firm pressure of her hand. "Please... Not yet." Bruce's quiet request had Selina searching his face and she felt her breath catch at the raw emotion visible even in the low light of the room. He was not exaggerating when he said that he was barely hanging on, he was wrecked. He looked torn and raw as he pulled her tighter against his body. She was suddenly relieved by his refusal to let her go.

_This was as much for him as it was for me._

She relaxed her arm letting him settle her closer. She pressed her forehead against his and they stayed that way for a long while. Nose to nose, her hand fisted in his hair, legs wrapped over his thighs as his arms grounded her to him. She told him that she loved him and that she was sorry and then he did tell her to shut up. He told her to shut up and not to talk and to just let him hold her. He whispered that he needed her to be real; to not have this be another dream and that was when Selina knew she had not been the only one haunted by their separation. _The way he looked at me, the open vulnerability in his face shattered any illusions I had of hiding how I felt... of being anything other than honest about how much I needed him...how much I loved him. He deserved better than that from me_.

He kissed her with desperation asking repeatedly if she was all right as he ran his hands over her armored sides. She nodded, promising him that she was fine. She told him Fox's armor had held and felt his shoulders sag with relief as he buried his face in the hollow of her neck. She held him, understanding that she had not been the only one terrified by the night's events. "If anything had happened to you, Selina..."

He flexed and even through the protection of her suit and the numbness of her skin, Selina felt the power in his hands. He shifted and sat her gently down on the ground. There was a fine metal grating under her and she looked up at him not understanding why he was pulling away. Her mind was foggy and the flash of the metal Batarang in his hand took her by surprise. She flinched away reflexively, but he persisted, gently gathering her left arm at the elbow. She immediately relinquished her injured arm to Bruce, understanding his intentions she watched with detached curiosity while he sliced the sleeve of her uniform from shoulder to hand. _Damn, Fox was going to get tired of replacing suits for me_.

Bruce inspected her injured wrist. It was bruised and swollen but Selina didn't think it was broken. This was an opinion she tried to convey, but her reassurance came out in a slurred, "Donworryimfine."

His eyes snapped back up to her and his concern was evident. Selina had enough self-awareness to know talking was hurting her case rather than helping so, she just resigned herself to strategic silence during the rest of Bruce's inspection. She rested her chin on the armored bulge over her knee and closed her eyes. Eventually he lifted her face and kissed her lightly as he pushed the suit off her other shoulder. The water helped the fabric slide and Bruce had little difficulty freeing her upper body from the confines of the suit. His eyes swept over her skin as he assured himself of her condition.

She watched him and it struck her how much she loved him. She pulled his face to hers trying to show him that she was all right that everything was as it should be. Bruce kissed her, but it was more to distract her than anything else because before she realized it, he had slid the suit over her hips and down to her knees. He broke away from her abruptly and with resolute determination began the removal of her boots.

Selina seriously considered slapping him right then for acting like such a robot. _Fucking droid. I'm numb from cold and hardly know which way is up after my run in with the lizard king and I was still willing to forgo everything else for a romp with him in this bat-infested cave. What does that say about me? _She gave Bruce a reproachful look that he never saw thanks to his undivided attention on her footwear_. I guess if anything, it proved I was missing our sex life more than he was...jerk._

The catch on her right boot stuck and Bruce snapped it with an impatient flick of his wrist. Selina registered the action with mild regret_. Another thing for Fox to replace. Oh well, the stench of the sewers was not likely to ever come out of the suit anyways. It was a lost cause. Speaking of lost causes... _Her hand went up to her head and the wig she wore. She worked a finger against her skin forcing it under the glue line while Bruce divested her of her boots. She pulled free from the disgusting hairpiece and tossed aside its battered remains. It landed in a wet heap, the dark strands of hair hanging down between the mesh of the drain. She tried not to think about how it reminded her of the women in the sewers, dead lifeless hair floating in the black water.

She felt her stomach twist and her eyes pricked with the sting of tears. _How many had their been... a dozen? More?_ She was suddenly grateful for Bruce's single-minded determination. She wanted all the remnants of tonight gone. The grime...the blood... the stench of death was suddenly overwhelming. She forced her mind away from the memories concentrating instead on the one-handed removal of her braids. Her left hand was curled protectively against her stomach as she pawed at the twists holding her long hair and focused her mind away from the Bowery.

_I can almost smell the shampoo... feel my fingernails working the soap into my scalp..._

She felt Bruce tug off the last remaining boot and blinked up at him startled away from her daydream. She watched as he ran his hands over her bare legs. She could not feel his touch, which was just as well because he was still in droid-mode and could not have cared less that she was nearly naked and it had been months since they had seen one another. _He was scanning me for cuts and scrapes, bites, bumps, bruises, and his clinical detachment irritated the hell out of me._ She took her frustrations out on her hair, as she pulled hard at the last stubborn strands. _It was probably for the best that I was numb and didn't feel the effects of my actions as I was normally tender-headed._

Finally satisfied she was not hiding additional injuries Bruce returned his attention to her face. His lips gave a small twitch, as he looked at her long hair half undone hanging wet and limp across her face. "There is my beautiful, Selina."

She growled out a response that was not words because words were failing her tonight anyways. He brushed the strands of hair behind her ear and Selina realized he was finally letting himself look at her... really see her. His eyes traced over her face, drifting over the faux tattoos on her ear and neck, lingering on her lips before dipping down to her chest. He focused on freeing her breasts from the black lace bra that covered them. Bruce favored her with a little smirk before he snapped the thin material with a flex of his hands. He licked his bottom lip and his eyes darkened with lust as his hands traveled lower. He hooked her panties with the blade of the batarang and they gave without even a whisper of protest. He repeated the same on the other hip and as he pulled them away from her he kept his head lowered. When his eyes lifted and she saw the effect on him she was lost.

_A man should not look at a woman like that and expect her to just to layback and take it._ She gave up on her hair and hooked a finger into the front of his suit tugging him toward her. He grasped her hand in his and held her still. He looked in her eyes and kissed the back of her hand and then the tip of her nose before he stood. Selina watched him take a step back and start quickly and expertly removing his suit. "Droid," she muttered under her breath.

Selina returned to her one-handed efforts to liberate her hair as she watched him pull loose from the armored bat suit. Her fingers stalled as she took in the sight of him. _Jesus Christ, he was gorgeous._ _The weeks without me had apparently treated him well; he had put on a good 15 pounds since I last saw him. His chest and abdomen were full and defined. I would not have thought it possible, but his shoulders looked broader, his muscled thighs thicker._ She felt a heavy tug in her core as she admired the raw masculinity of Bruce Wayne, soaking wet and gloriously nude.

He kicked the black lump of his uniform aside and returned to her. His hand came to her face and she was only vaguely aware of his other hand in her hair working quickly to undo the final braid. She ran her hand up his arm and he stilled immediately his eyes locking it as Selina's fingers migrated over him. She did not let his tense reaction deter her. She had seen him naked and droid-mode or not, it was obvious from the state of Bruce's body that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. She did not intend to wait any longer, but again he abruptly pulled away. She swore aloud this time, making sure he was fully aware of her discontent. She was about to get to her feet and walk the hell away when she saw the bottle in his hand. The familiar clear container filled with amber soap. Johnson's baby shampoo.

She did not care that he was smirking as he worked the soap into her hair and she could not find it in herself to be mad at him for denying her sex. It felt so good as his fingers massaged the soap through her hair that she willingly accepted this as a consolation prize. At this moment she would have forgiven him anything. He took longer than was necessary obviously inspired by her throaty groans of pleasure. She took advantage of his close proximity and slid herself against his body. She wrapped her legs around his waist and curled her arms over his shoulders. _He was so warm, beautiful, and strong that it was intoxicating._ She held on to him and when he circled one of his arms around her she realized how alone she had been without him.

x

_We must have been in the shower for quite awhile_. She realized this as she peered down at the pruned wrinkled skin on her fingertips. She took stock of her condition and realized that she had stopped shaking and then noticed they were still on the floor of the shower. They were a jumble of arms and legs twined around one another. Her head was on his shoulder, and his arms were wound tight around her. She wondered briefly if she had lost consciousness. _Maybe I had taken a shot to the head and just not realized.._ She organized her thoughts remembering only vaguely the memory of Bruce rinsing her hair and soaping her body. She wasn't entirely sure that she hadn't imagined it all. She focused on the tactile, running her hand over his shoulder and down his chest. _Wet skin over hard muscle, a light dusting of coarse hair under my fingertips. This was real... he was real._

She lifted her head and noted the intense alertness of Bruce's eyes as they searched hers, "Bruce... Am I alright?"

His jaw flexed and he looked like he was struggling with an answer to what she considered a simple question. He kissed her forehead, "You have been through a lot tonight, Selina." She dropped her head back to rest against the muscular swell of his deltoid. His arm flexed and she was glad the numbness had left her limbs so she could feel his hands on her skin as he stroked her back. She felt his chest rumble against hers as he quietly asked, "Are you warm enough?"

She nodded and wished she hadn't when he shifted away from her and stood. He helped her to her feet and then off them again. Her sound of discontent at him having disrupted their moment of intimacy turned into a hum of approval as she was wrapped back around him. He guided her arms over his shoulders and encouraged her to circle her legs around his waist. Selina's acceptance obviously registered with him and he whispered into her ear, "I take it that we aren't going to fight about me carrying you this time then, kitten?"

She grumbled a rude response into the damp warm skin of his neck and tightened her legs around his waist. He draped a thick towel over her ensuring that she was covered her from head to bottom before shifting his arms and pinning the cloth against her The towel held the warmth of the shower to her skin and shielded her core from the cool blast of air as he walked them through the cave. She felt the muscular swell of his glutes flexing under her calves and she realized with amusement that he had not bothered with a towel for himself. Bruce walked them to the lift and Selina couldn't help but smile. _Alfred would not approve of you walking bare-assed through the manor...this isn't the YMCA master Wayne..._

Her chin rested on his shoulder as he walked and she looked again at the operation he had put together under his family home. Selina had found this little Wayne house secret her fourth night in the manor.

_There was a draft that rippled the freshly hung curtains in the private library. This was one of the first rooms finished, it was obviously important to Alfred that it be completed, which made it important to Bruce. There were not that many non-batman related things that were of importance to Bruce Wayne. I had lit a candle and walked the room until the fluttering flame showed me where the air was entering. I found the passage and then traced the release mechanism to the piano. I searched under the piano to find the trigger wired to several keys, playing the affected keys in different combinations until I found the right notes. I was no piano player, but even to me the notes sounded off key and intentionally wrong. It would be hard to reproduce even accidentally._

_I spent the rest of the evening prowling the cave and was impressed to say the least at the set up Wayne had below the mansion. I wondered if Gordon knew about it, if he realized just how important it had been to get the mansion back to Bruce? I doubt that he did. I doubted that Wayne would ever tell him. I doubted that Gordon would have wanted or expected him to, that is just who they were to one another. Bruce would have never tried to get the house back either. He would have arisen from the dead and continued to allow his childhood home to safe-house Gotham's orphans._

_Damn Bruce Wayne... you are a hell of a guy.._.She lifted off his shoulder and kissed the hard jut of his jaw. Bruce turned his face and whispered in her ear. "Almost there kitten."

Her voice was soft and she whispered back quietly, "I love you, Bruce."

He growled, "That's not going to help your cause with me. You are in deep trouble... deep damn trouble, mauvaise fille." She listened to him and sighed as she resigned herself to the consequences of her deception. Hope grew a little in her heart when she heard him rumble out, "Petite sorciere."

Selina accepted that being called a little witch might not be too bad since he seemed to love her in spite of it and maybe, just maybe just a little bit _because_ of it. She let her fingers thread through his dark wet hair as he walked them through the shadowy halls of Wayne manor. Her eyes took in the now familiar sights as the master of the house walked without hesitation toward his room. _He had been here, he had seen it. _Her lips twitched, "Did you like it, Bruce?"

She felt his arms tighten, "I loved it, Selina. It took me apart... you knew it would. You intended it to, didn't you?"

She shook her head and pressed a kiss to his neck feeling the strong pulse of his heart, "I just wanted you to think of me...remember our time together."

His voice rumbled, "I did. Believe me. I did, Selina."

Selina brushed her cheek against his, "I came here as often as I could. Being here made me feel closer to you." She swallowed her pride and gave into how she felt about him, " I wanted you to figure it out. I wanted you to come here looking for me. It killed me to be away from you this long, Bruce."

He held her tight against him as he took the stairs two at a time, "I did come for you, Selina. I'm just an idiot and it took me a lot longer than it should have to figure things out." He squeezed her bottom, "In my defense, you are a tricky little witch." His warm lips pressed against her ear, "I'm sorry it took me as long as it did. I'm sorry that you were loose in this damn city this whole time without me knowing." Selina felt his chest expand and his voice dropped lower, " I almost can't forgive you for that kitten. That you would put yourself at risk like you did. You can't do things like this anymore. Do you hear me?"

His voice was raw and she understood his pain, she felt his fear. "I know it was wrong. I just couldn't... It was unbearable to be in Italy knowing you were here." She looked away from him as she spoke, "I knew you didn't want me here... that I would interfere with what you were planning with Blake... I didn't want that, but I couldn't stay away..." Her voice faltered as she realized no excuse was going to hold water with him so she just dropped her head back against his shoulder and pressed harder against his chest.

x

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x _Bruce POV x_

Selina clung to me and I realized she was afraid of how I was going to react. Hell, I couldn't blame her. I still didn't know what I was feeling. I stopped at the top of the stairs, "No more of this, Selina. No more lying to one another. No more games... ever." When I looked at her, I saw the trepidation in her eyes and I began walking again as I set my terms with her. "Selina, I cannot have a repeat of this. Tonight... you going down there by yourself. Not knowing if you were alright...I can't handle it."

I paused for a moment my hand braced against the rough wood of the door to our bedroom, " I meant it when I said you would never face another monster on your own and there you went... down there without me. What were you trying to prove? Taking him on like that ..." My voice cracked and I had to start again, " He could have-" She silenced me with her cool lips on mine and I had to pull her away physically. I wasn't going to be deterred that easily from the message I intended to deliver, "Dammit I am being serious, Selina. Now listen to me."

"I am," she said as she tried to kiss me again, "I am listening. Bruce. I didn't want to be down there by myself... you were all I could think of... I hit that locator because I needed you there."

I pulled her arm loose from around my neck and fixed her with a piercing gaze, "What if you hadn't been able to handle him? What if he had gotten you down and I was not able to make it in time? It is hard enough for me when we go into things toget-" Her lips were on mine again stealing the argument from my tongue. I kissed her with a desperation that overwhelmed us both. All the emotions of the past hours pouring out of me as my lips punished her for her deception. I pulled her body hard against mine as I tried to make her understand with more than just words what she meant to me..what losing her would have meant to me.

With her hand fisted in my hair and her legs clamped around my waist my brain was frying, "Stop Selina... now stop." I mumbled the order as she invaded my mouth with her tongue. Of course, she did everything but stop. She pulled me closer, and I turned my head away in frustration. Her teeth nipped at my ear sending sparks of desire down my spine as I whisper hoarsely, "He was a fucking animal, Selina. The things he did.. he w-

She jerked my chin toward her and her eyes bore into mine, "Stop imagining all of the bad things that didn't happen, Bruce. I am here. You are here. We are both safe. Don't waste time with that. Haven't we wasted enough time already?"

I smoothed back a drying curl from her forehead and shook my head, "So you think that's it? You lied and snuck around... hid yourself from me...led Gordon and I around the Bowery like children on a scavenger hunt. Then tonight you almost got your ass killed and what? You think we are going to screw and it will be like none of it ever happened? I will just forget it all and forgive you?"

Selina cocked her head, "Yeah. Yes. Just like that." She looked longingly at me and hope shone brightly in her eyes, "You forgive me, and I will forgive you."

_She will forgive me? "_Witch..."I growled out a curse as I lay her down on our bed and lost myself in her kiss. The feel of her breasts pressing against my chest had me achingly hard. I only came back to myself when I felt her tremble under me. I pulled the duvet over us and covered her with the warmth of my body. I looked at the familiar cover as it brushed against her cheek and I realized it was me shaking. The thought of losing her crushed me, "Don't lie to me again, Selina." I pressed my lips against hers letting my teeth graze her lower lip. She moaned into my mouth and I felt my mind releasing its hold on rational thought. _She was playing me... wrapping me up in the memories of us in Europe, stealing away my anger, and drowning me in emotion._ "Witch... sneaky witch..."

"Bruce, don't leave me again. Please."

Her nails dug into my back and I felt her desperation. The fear in her voice rocked me and I realized what she had felt in Italy was not protection it was abandonment. I held her tighter and gave her what she needed. "Never again Selina. I'm never doing something foolish like that again." She looked up at me and the haunted look in her eye was more than I could stand. I pulled her under my chin, rolling to my side so my weight was off her, but she could still felt me covering her. She nuzzled against me and I palmed her head with my hand, "It's done now, Selina. We are both back where we belong."

I heard exhaustion and defeat in her voice, "I screwed up, Bruce. You are right. I shouldn't have gone after him... He was too much ...When I saw him I just froze... I was so afraid, Bruce... I heard my father's voice and it was like I was that powerless kid all over again and I almost... couldn't make myself face him. That woman... she could have died because of me.. "

Her voice was barely a whisper and I realized through her halting confession that she was ashamed of the fear that had gripped her in the darkness under the city. I held her tighter; my mind racing as I tried to imagine what it had taken her to do what she did to save that woman. _What had it taken for you face down a man like Waylon Jones? The answer was simple. It was the same guts that she had when she took on the mobsters at the marina...the same steely nerve it took to save herself from the abuse of her father. It was Courage, plain and simple._

"I know you were scared , Selina." My voice was a raspy whisper, " What you did tonight... the way you handled yourself down there... " I pressed her tight against my chest, "I'm proud of you, Selina. Proud of your strength, your ability, your courage."

I felt her shake her head, "Courage.." She nearly choked over the word.

I pulled back, looked down at her, and confirmed my assessment, "Courage." I caressed her chin with my thumb running it along the ridge of her jaw, "Courage is not the absence of fear, Selina. It is the willingness to act in spite of it. That woman is alive tonight because of you. Because you had the courage to do what had to be done."

Her eyes were liquid as she looked up at me, "How angry are you that I came back to Gotham?"

"Furious," was my whispered response as I kissed her gently. As her eyes slipped shut, a tear escaped. I curled her into my neck and kissed its salty path to the hairline of her temple. "You are safe now, Selina. Just rest, you don't have to be afraid anymore, I've got you tonight." I felt her decompressing, the fear and anxiety releasing as her body softened in my arms. In that moment I realized how far we had actually come.

_Selina Kyle trusted me...she loved me._

For Selina love and trust never seemed to be mutually exclusive of one another. It had taken moving heaven and earth to help her realize that I could be trusted with the truth of her past and still accept her after all that she had been through. It took time to show her that I loved her not in spite of her life experience, but _because_ of them.. Because they shaped her, into the woman I held in my arms at this very moment.

As I listened to her recount the horrifying decision to go to battle with Jones, she let me see her at her most vulnerable. She laid herself open sharing with me the crippling fear that she had felt. She told me about the horrifying memories of her past that nearly paralyzed her and I was overwhelmed at the intimacy she afforded me as she exposed the woman that existed beneath the hard armor of the Cat.

It occurred to me then that she did not truly understand where her strength lay. It was not the Catwoman outfitted in the latest Wayne Tech that had stood against Killer Croc, it was a little brown-haired girl from the wrong side of Gotham that had brought the fight to him tonight. It was in that brave little girl that Selina Kyle's strength was born. Her father's voice had been a reminder that she had what it took to stand up against men like Jones. She had dipped into that well of courage inside herself and did what needed to be done.

I watched her closely as she lay in my arms, her eyes were open and unblinking as her head rested on my chest while she spoke. She offered more of herself to me in those few moments than I could have ever have asked for in a lifetime. Knowing that Selina was allowing her facade to fall in front of me, that she was choosing to find shelter in my arms was... humbling. I kissed her brow and pulled the cover higher over her bare shoulder as she settled further into my arms.

I wish that I could say that I held her and that she was able to draw strength from my protective embrace, but that was not the truth. I lay there listening to her soft breaths and halting words and it was me that drew strength from her. It was my eyes that burned from unshed tears as she took me below Gotham city and shared with me what she endured. She said she regretted doing it as she squeezed her hand around my waist. She stared down at her injured wrist and then looked up at me with her soft brown eyes,_ "A_ll I could think of, Bruce was that I had failed you. Cost us our life together... and I had failed... failed to find the Joker... I was going to die knowing he was still out there and that you would be facing him without me."

I quieted her the same as she had me, with a kiss that stopped the flood of worry and what ifs. I soothed her with the gentle caress of my lips. I waited for her to show me what she needed as my mind worked to process everything that had happened_ .. I was still upset with her for her deception, but I could not bring myself to be angry that she had come back to Gotham._ _She came back to protect me... us...this. To make sure we never lost this beautiful thing that we had found in one another. But then she had gotten caught up in the Bowery and she was put in a position where she couldn't stand on the sidelines and not act. That was the part that I understood the most... that was the thing she understood about me... she was the only person that ever seemed to get it.. the drive I had to save Gotham..._

I realized then that preserving the love we had found in one another was paramount, but we both had to be true to ourselves to who we are. I was the Batman and she, whether she accepted it or not, she was the Catwoman. We both had our codes and responsibilities and we both had to come to terms with how we were going to balance them with loving one another. There was one thing I was certain of, we belonged together, and denying that fact any further was not something I was prepared to do. Selina Kyle was back in Gotham to stay and I had to get onboard with that fact. I broke gently away from her lips and whispered against her cheek, "Accueillir à la maison. Je t'aime petite sorciere."

She fixed me with her soft chocolate eyes, "Bruce, je t' aime. Je veux être avec vous pour toujours."

x

xx

**French:**

"Mauvaise fille"- bad girl

Accueillir à la maison- welcome home

"Je t'aime petite sorciere." - I love you little witch

'je t' aime" I love you

Je veux être avec vous pour toujours" - i want to be with you always

x

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_Thoughts? Did Bruce let her off too easy? _

_I can't wait to hear what you think! Please __Review!_


	8. Chapter 8

It is a cloudy day and that matches my dismal mood as I suffer through this chapter. I will tell you folks I almost gave up and trashed it again but I had a couple readers encourage me to post so I hope you find some enjoyment in it. I think it serves its purpose as a bridge to the next part of the story so at least we have gotten that out of it!

Best wishes to you all. Hope everyone had a great weekend. I look forward to your opinions on the story- I love talking Bat/Cat with you super fans:)

Thanks to everyone that reviewed Chapter 7 and help motivate me through my funk...

-Slingblade-

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Selina crept stealthily to the door of their bedroom balancing lightly on the balls of her feet. She had slipped on a short robe from her closet; the rich purple color of the silk matched the shade of her engagement ring almost perfectly. She had been laying across Bruce's chest earlier, nearly asleep when she heard his low voice rumble, "Selina... where is your engagement ring?"

She had lifted her head and given him a sleepy smile, "Safe."

His eyes were on her injured hand that lay cradled against his stomach as he gently stroked her back, "I asked _where_ it was, not _how_ it was."

Selina nudged him with her knee and pointed beside the bed, "Its safe... _in_ the safe."

He had retrieved the ring immediately from its secure storage. Rather than disturb her, Bruce had instead dutifully accepted her directions on how to disarm the security measures as she remained curled in bed. Bruce was properly impressed with the design of the new security. The safe was in the wall by Selina's nightstand, camouflaged so well that he had never even noticed its presence. It would not have helped him even if had he discovered it on the initial search of the room, as the process to open it was arduous and complex. Any attempt to open it would have failed without Selina's instruction. The reward for the effort in disarming it now, however was substantial. The contents included his mother's necklace, the pearl earrings that he had given Selina for Christmas and the object that had kicked off his quest originally, Selina Kyle's engagement ring.

Bruce thought about the limited inventory of the safe for a moment. _Selina had any number of jewels that well eclipsed the value of the earrings and even the pearls, but none of them benefited from the protection of the safe. The why was simple, these pieces mattered to her. Their intrinsic worth based not in the exchange rates of metal and gem, but in the emotions tied to them. _Bruce tried not to let the transparency of her love affect him, but he failed. It was clear that she guarded what was of value to her and it was these things that she chose to shield from loss.

Bruce ran his hand over the pearls before settling on the ring. He slipped it on the tip of his right index finger, marveling again at the small diameter of the band. He stood and pushed the heavy door shut with his foot. He stared down at the ring as he walked over to where she lay draped over their pillows and shook his head in disapproval as he sat down beside her. "When I gave this to you Selina I had expected that it would be kept _on_ your_ finger_ not in_ a safe_." He glanced back at the wall that held the jewels and smirked, "No matter how secure that safe might be."

Selina had remained silent, but Bruce did not miss the contrite look on her face as her hand covered his and they both looked down at the symbol of their commitment to one other. "I couldn't chance wearing it down in the Bowery. The risk of losing it was too great." Her eyes never left the stone as she spoke, " I wore it the first few times I went in, even though I knew I shouldn't." Her voice sounded almost apologetic as she explained her reasoning, "I didn't feel right taking it off." Bruce heard the emotion in her voice, "I tried turning the stone down into my palm, but it still drew attention."

Bruce looked at her and his lip twitched as he rolled the band between his finger and thumb, "Someone tried to steal it from you then?" He lifted his chin, "How'd that work out for him?"

Selina smirked at him and then yawned before looking back down at the ring, "How do you think?"

He lifted her right hand and slipped it on the third finger, "I suppose this will have to suffice until the swelling goes down and it can be returned to its proper place on your left hand."

Selina pulled back the comforter and slid back, making room for him, "How about you get back in _your_ proper place." That suggestion brought a smile to his face as he slid back under the covers with her wrapping her in his arms. She slipped her leg over him pulling him close as she settled into his body.

Bruce had held her for a long time, listening to her soft sounds of sleep. He felt her tense and his arms tightened and he whispered in her ear rousing her from her dream. She woke and squirmed closer to him, he felt her hand run across his chest and her lips kiss his jaw. She murmured that she wanted him and he quickly captured her hand before it could slide lower down his stomach. Her sleepy grumble of disapproval made him smile. It was everything he had to remain reserved and not let her entice him into action. Only the emotion of the evening had kept him from it. Whether she would admit it or not what had transpired down there had affected her. Selina had dropped her hard front for him and she was still fragile, he saw it in her eyes.

He inhaled deeply as his arm wrapped over her shoulder and his eyes roamed the dark expanse of the bedroom. It was moments like this where he feared the rising emotion inside himself. He felt dangerously possessive of her. It was primal and sexist and he was intelligent enough to recognize it for what it was yet he seemed unable to overcome it. Instead, he lay awake vigilant and watchful, calmly holding her while inside he was in turmoil and spoiling for a fight. He could argue that it was not his male pride that was demanding redemption, but that would be a lie. It had taken more out of him than he realized to stand by and watch her take on Waylon Jones alone. His jaw ground and he had to force his arms not to tighten against her as she slept. He almost wished someone would walk through those doors so he could release the emotion trapped inside him.

He forced back thoughts of the other act of male dominance that would offer him a similar release. His blood rushed south and sweat beads gathered at his hairline as his heart hammered against his ribs. He became acutely aware of the soft swell of her breast pressing against his chest. _Selina Kyle, you have me reduced to a Neanderthal. Its a good thing that you can't read my thoughts or you would label me a chauvinistic bastard and likely take it upon yourself to slap the machismo right out of me._

He stroked her hair with a shaky hand as he fought back the terrible need twisting inside. It was a battle, but he knew his mind would eventually prevail over his body because his desire, no matter how great was trumped by his obsessive need to protect this woman he loved. He would not allow himself to act on his desires or even hers until he was sure she was ready. _I want her to feel safe. If not anywhere else in the world, I want her to feel safe lying beside me... I want her to find the protection she needs in me...her shelter in me._ His chest rose and fell with effort as he forced himself to find his control. He would not allow anything to compromise the vulnerability she had showed him tonight. Selina's trust was a valuable delicate thing; he had worked hard to earn it and he now he felt himself guarding it jealously.

Bruce finally felt the tension subsiding in his muscles as he relaxed and settled further into the pillows under his shoulders. For the first time he found himself grateful for his life of discipline and deprivation for it had given him strength, strength to be the man Selina needed him to be tonight. His practiced patience would see him through until she was stronger, more herself. _Droid mode... _A smile drifted across his face as he thought of her anger at his refusal to succumb to her feminine wiles._ You have no idea little girl what that cost me... _The dull ache in his gut was constant reminder the physical toll. Nevertheless he was intent that his patience would remain in effect and uncompromised until he saw that haunted pain leave her eyes and he was sure that she was with him in the here and now and not caught below the streets of Gotham or worse yet, trapped in the memories of her childhood.

He fell asleep with her breath warm on his neck and his nose in her hair. He had forced his own mind away from his own dark places, not allowing himself to delve into the nightmares filled with bats and clowns. He lay suspended between sleep and consciousness until his thoughts turned to Wayne manor and he glimpsed through the window little Meghan running up the drive. He submerged himself in that dream and without a moment's hesitation he was walking out the front doors of the mansion into the sun of a bright Gotham afternoon...

X

Selina fondled the band with her thumb as she gazed back over her shoulder and smiled at Bruce's sleeping form. He was on his side undisturbed by her stealthy exit from the bed. She had awaked to find herself still in his arms and Bruce sleeping soundly. She had not wanted to move, but she was driven away from his side by thirst and pain.

She pulled the heavy door shut behind her and padded barefoot down the hall toward the stairs. The morning sunrise would soon be finding its way through the endless windows and Wayne manor would fill with light and people.

Selina knew from prior experience that the construction crews arrived at dawn. With the unveiling only a few days away, they were likely to be on time if not early as they strove to meet the imminent deadline. She kept that timeline in mind as she descended the stairs and quickly made her way into the kitchen.

Selina by passed the primary refers in favor of the larger industrial fridge in the rear. It was stocked with water and PowerAde for the workers, a courtesy she herself had benefited from many times. She grabbed a bottle of blue PowerAde and set it on the counter before ducking back and gathering two water bottles. She let the door vacuum shut with a bump from her hip to assist it closed. She set the bottles by the other on the counter and made her way over to a cabinet on the far wall. It was stocked with medicines and she had the beginnings of a headache, not to mention the considerable pain in her wrist. She searched the middle shelf and found a bottle of Advil.

She was contemplating just how she would be removing the lid one handed as the cabinet door shut and she turned to find Bruce standing right beside her. She yelped in surprise; startled she nearly dropped the bottle of pain medicine. Bruce stood there silently, his arms folded over his chest as he watched her regain her composure. "Wayne I already almost died once tonight are you trying to finish me off with a heart attack?"

Bruce ignored her quip as he unfolded his arms and took the bottle from her hand. He twisted the cap off and shook two capsules into his palm. Selina accepted his offering and popped the tablets into her mouth. She moved to gather up a bottle of water and Bruce intercepted her again, opening it himself before handing the cool bottle to her wordlessly.

Selina chased the chalky pills down her throat drinking a good amount of water before taking a deep breath and finishing off the rest of the bottle. Bruce cracked open the sports drink and left the cap balanced on the bottle so she would not have to struggle to remove the lid. He brushed past her on his way to the refrigerator. Selina felt the intentional touch and gave him a smirk as he moved by.

He walked through the kitchen looking perfectly at ease already; he was still shirtless but now covered at the waist with dark green silk pajama pants. He opened the freezer door and searched the contents before returning with a container of ice cubes in his hand.

He walked to the sink and started filling the basin with water as he dumped the contents of the large container into the steel reservoir. She heard the crack and crackle as the ice chilled the water. Bruce turned back to her and patted the counter beside it with his hand. Selina gave him a knowing look. "Alfred would not likely approve of me sitting on the counters in his kitchen. "

Bruce nodded his agreement, "Alfred would likely not approve of lots of things you have done on kitchen counters." Selina laughed and was rewarded with a beautiful Bruce Wayne smile. She walked over to him and was stopped before she could jump up onto the perch. He held her at the hips his hands flexing around her small waist, "Allow me?"

Selina raised a brow, "So now you are asking my permission before attempting to carry me around?"

"I figured it would be easier than having you pissed at me." His eyes were filled with amusement as he watched her smile coyly. Bruce closed the small distance between them before he lifted her onto the counter. He slid her body slowly up his as he picked her up.

Selina smiled as she slid up his chest, feeling his face trailing along her neck before being gently placed on the counter. When their eyes met, she saw the dark passion in his and she hooked her heels behind his thighs pulling him into her body. Bruce offered no resistance, allowing her to encourage him into the very place he longed to be. He traced a single finger over her cheek and down her neck to her shoulder.

Bruce watched her throat work as she swallowed and he found himself wanting to kiss the soft pulse of her neck. He held back as his finger traced down her arm and passed whisper soft over her injured wrist. He felt her tense as he gathered her hand in his. He guided her into the ice bath feeling her squirm at the initial shock of cold water against her skin.

Then he did kiss that little spot on her throat as his other hand slid behind her and pulled her close into his body. He held her like that for a very long time, enjoying the scent of her, the feel of her skin against his face and the silk robe against his chest. Bruce had withdrawn his hand leaving hers soaking in the ice bath and his hand cold and moist brushed the back of her neck.

Selina let him support her, holding her as the chilled water took away some of the pain and swelling from her wrist. He massaged at her neck and asked her softly, "Headache?"

Selina nodded, "Nothing compared to the ones you get I'm sure."

Bruce murmured a sympathetic sound of understanding. "If I remember my first aid correctly, I am supposed to cook you noodles and entice you into eating a packet of honey."

Selina chuckled and gave him a pained smile, "We have been through the ringer a time or two haven't we, Bruce?"

He nodded his agreement as he caressed her face with his thumb. Selina felt his hand brush over her breast and her breath caught as her nipple hardened obediently under the delicate silk. Bruce groaned softly as he registered her immediate response to his unintentional touch. He stilled himself waiting as he allowed his lungs only a measure of the breath they suddenly demanded.

She lifted his head with a finger under his chin until their eyes met and he saw the storm of passion in her brown eyes. His thumb found the hardened peak that had tempted him and he rubbed a slow circle around it. He shook his head as if he was disappointed in himself and let out a shuttering breath before he whispered, "Forgive me, Selina," as he tugged the sash of her robe and it drifted open, "I had hoped to show more self-control than this, kitten..." His voice faded as his hands found her breasts.

_Forgive him? Really, Bruce are you even serious? _Selina let her head drop back to her shoulders and waited for the feel of his lips on her breasts. Her mind drifted back to the metallurgy and their interrupted intimacy, "Bruce... the contractors..."

"I will hear them," Bruce promised her as he nuzzled under her chin. He was rewarded by her response as she accepted him at his word and arched under him inviting him to take what he wanted. He inhaled deeply through her hair, "You are an enigma my dear. So powerful one moment and then surrendering so completely the next."

Bruce felt her tense and he shook his head and pressed her against him, "Stop. Don't over think things." He kissed her ear, "You are perfect. This... this is ... perfect."

Selina relaxed as he settled himself between her legs. "It is beautiful seeing you like this, open …soft… trusting." He gripped her thighs and slid her forward surrounding himself with her body. "Can you feel what you do to me Selina?" He ground himself slowly against her relishing the low groan that his action garnered from her. "I need you so much. There was never a night we were apart that I didn't fall asleep imagining us together." He kissed her lightly on the corner of her mouth, "Is this what you want?"

Selina's eyes glittered as she gave him a slow nod. Her silent approval was like tossing fuel to an already raging fire. "Lay back." He ground out the order and Selina responded immediately. His hands separated her thighs and he dropped down between her legs. There was no pretense to his action and no apology for the raw desire that was driving him. Selina lay there as his mouth covered her and she heard his low groan as his tongue slipped over her sex. It was a possessive sound that told her that this act of sexual decadence was as much for him as it was for her.

_Bruce had a way about him when he made love to me and he had a way about him when it was about taking what he needed and he was riding a fine line between the two extremes tonight. He was trying diligently to keep himself in check, trying not to push me too far after the night I had in the Bowery, but he was desperate. I could read it in the set of his shoulders and the clench of his jaw. I knew he needed me and I had tried to give myself to him only to be shut down… repeatedly. He was being a stubborn ass like he always was by making us wait and now we are both about to explode on each other... Boy scout_

Selina felt the sharp needles of tears behind her eyes and her breath caught as she fought back the emotion of the moment. It was times like this when Bruce owned her more than she cared to admit. His patience concern when it came to her crushed her defenses and left her feeling even more exposed and vulnerable. _Damn you Bruce..._

Bruce felt the hitch in her breath and his hand stilled on her stomach. She reached for him, covering his hand with hers hoping the wordless encouragement would be enough to reassure him. She felt him shift and he was moving up her body, kissing her stomach and nuzzling her breast gently as he studied her face.

She ran her finger through his hair as she struggled to contain the emotions that raced through her._ Bruce was right. I am shitty at expressing myself and now he is left guessing at what to do._ She swallowed hard and managed out a soft, "I need you... this." He must have believed her because his eyes softened and he allowed his mouth to find the hardened tip of her nipple and he gently sucked as he massaged her breast.

Selina felt the heat pool in her stomach as she pushed harder into his hand. She felt the light brush of his teeth on her sensitive nipple and she tightened her grip on his dark hair as her legs wrapped around his waist.

Bruce could feel the strumming of her muscles under his hands and he felt the tug of her hand in his hair. _Alright little girl I get the message._

As he suckled her breast his hand slipped into the ice bath beside them and captured a cube. Selina watched as his hand moved with slow intensity toward her. He licked the tip of her breast and gently nipped at her as the cube arrived touching its neglected twin. He swirled the ice over her nipple and down the swell of her breast to her abdomen before taking it lower to sooth the burning heat of her sex.

She was silent through it all, but her body betrayed her eagerness as it responded to him without hesitation. As he circled her entrance with the melting cube, she lifted her hips to his touch. He slipped the rapidly melting ice into her and it gave into the intense heat of her body, liquefying and wetting her all the more. He slipped a finger inside her and she gave herself over to him, her knees dropped apart as she offered him everything. He growled as the possessive need welled up in him. _That's it baby...mine.. you are mine._

He brushed her clit with his thumb. His touch was light and it did not give her enough pressure to satisfy. Her frustrated response to the gentle contact was obvious as her legs shifted restlessly against his thighs and her nails dug into his neck as she urged him on. He shuttered as his body responded to her encouragement and he moved his hand and ground his pelvis into hers, "Are you ready for me?"

Selina fisted her hand into his hair and pulled his head down to hers kissing him hard. She broke away from his lips only long enough to answer, "Stop teasing me, Bruce." He let her ravish his mouth with her kiss until his restraint was compromised completely.

By the time he broke away he had nearly climbed on the counter in his desperation and that was exactly what she wanted. _Bruce Wayne with no limits. _Selina nipped his earlobe and the sharp pain elicited an immediate escalation of response. He drew back and forced her thighs apart spreading her to him before sliding down her body and burying his face in her sex again. He was greedy and forceful now, his mouth unrelenting as he drove her passion higher. He took her to the brink and then pulled away.

Selina protested when he stopped, struggling through her haze of passion to face him. He was staring intently down at her panting; his lips glistened from the wetness of her sex. "I want you as desperate as I am, Selina."

Selina nodded, unable to rasp out her response as she tried to angle her body enough to get what she needed from his touch. "Please, Bruce... please."

"No kitten. Not like this. Our first time in this house will be in our room... in our bed."

Her eyes flashed and she smiled as she sat up, cupping him through the thin silk of his pajama bottoms. "The bedroom is a nice idea, Bruce...but I must admit," she continued to stroke him as she spoke, "I've developed an affinity for kitchens." His eyes squeezed shut and his mouth dropped open as he lost himself in her touch. His biceps flexed and he thrust involuntarily into her palm. Selina gripped him more solidly giving him the friction she knew he needed.

Bruce did not allow her attention to derail him for long, he pulled himself away with a warning that it was becoming too much. "I'm not going to last if you keep that up."

Selina growled, "Then let's go, handsome. You have kept me waiting too long as it is. Besides I don't want to get started and have Bob the Builder stumbling in here interrupting my good time." She pulled her numb hand out of the water as Bruce tugged her off the counter and pinned her tightly between his solid body and the cabinets. He kissed her deeply pulling her head back with his hand fisted into her hair. His tongue moved over hers and she tasted the evidence of her own arousal. She wrapped her leg at his thigh and received a smack on her ass. She flinched against him her eyes dilating as she struggled to react.

Bruce growled at her, "I'm not carrying you again independent little witch. Walk on your own."

Selina shoved him back, landing lightly on her feet. "As you wish, _Master_ Wayne." She glowered at him defiantly as she shrugged off her robe. It fluttered to the floor and she got the reaction she wanted. Bruce swore as he grabbed for her. The plan he had to take her on their bed was forgotten as an immediate stab of need demanded he take her right then. A vision of her bent over the counter with his hands fisted in her hair fogged his brain and Selina dipped easily under his arms and pranced out of his reach.

Bruce smiled at her cocky strut and the self-assured smirk on her lips as she walked away from him. _There she is... there is my powerful sexy Selina_. He stalked after her his eyes following the graceful lines of her body as she led him through the manor. He tried to grab her again at the base of the marble stairwell, but she dodged him and all he caught was a glimpse of her white teeth and the feel of her long hair whipping against his chest.

He climbed the stairs, enjoying the view of her bare ass leading him to their chambers. He adjusted himself several times as the journey up became exceedingly more uncomfortable with every sway of her hips.

He rushed her at the last level and she seemed to have anticipated it because she simply turned and let him capture her in his arms. Bruce did not even bother to lift her as she had immediately twined her arms around his neck and her legs were wrapped tight around his waist. He squeezed her bottom and pushed her lower against his straining erection. " I'm going to come so hard for you tonight, Selina."

His words were setting her on fire and the feel of his body was confirmation that he was in as much a state of need as she. Bruce hit the bedroom door with such force that he sent the heavy wood door booming against the stonewall. Selina laughed as its impact reverberated through the room. Bruce did not bother closing it as he walked them across the room and lowered her onto the bed. She was already sliding his silk bottoms down with the heels of her feet and he assisted by pulling the banded waist over his erection. Bruce took himself in hand, running his cock through the drenched folds of her sex before finding her entrance and pushing inside.

He groaned as her body enveloped him in her warm moist heat. He shuttered as he worked himself in, moving side-to-side stretching her so that she could take all of him. He did not let her body's resistance dissuade him. He pushed harder as the need to bury himself was too great and he could not be gentle any longer, "You are so tight... God it has been too long... too long. " It was an apology of sorts as well as a warning to this woman that he loved that he was losing his grip.

Selina urged him on with a hiss and a demand. He cursed as he grabbed her hips and pushed inside her further. With two hard thrusts, he was as deep as she could take him.

She gasped at the hard invasion, but her soft breathy sound only made him more desperate. He rocked into her taking her past her comfortable limits as he pursued his need to possess her completely. She panted as he found his rhythm rolling his hips and biting at her jaw as he let the animal inside him loose. Their coupling was wild, unrefined, and feral... and it was exactly what they both had needed. Possession and passion. Both his soft words of love and heated words of passion were gone, replaced now by animalistic sounds of need and exertion as they reunited their bodies.

She had tried once to gain the advantage, but he denied her keeping her pinned below him as he was driven for dominance. He was tangled in his need and he was well past rational thought and sexual consideration. He panted as he thrust into her and nearly came undone when her words found his ear. Selina promising him that she was his as she moaned out his name. He gave into himself as he slammed into her over and again losing himself in the feeling of her body. He was so consumed in his own passion that he drove her over the edge without realizing.

Selina bucked under him as her body, unable to absorb anymore stimulus, gave into climax. Her body squeezed around him and he was lost. Bruce pushed her hard against the mattress trapping her securely with a hand at the base of her throat and another at her hip trying in vain to stop her from bringing him with her, "Stop. Don't make me come... Selina."

She lifted her hips giving him all of her and he felt the firm button of her cervix glide against his sensitive head as her body gripped his, "My God." Bruce ground out the words as his hand clamped down on her hip and he held himself deep inside her giving into the relentless demand of her body.

She felt the warmth wash into her body as Bruce emptied himself inside her. She watched as his shoulders pulled back under the strain of his orgasm. His hand was like a vice on her hip as he anchored her under him while his body released over and over. He shuttered violently from the force of his climax and when she raised her hand to his face Bruce collapsed against her.

It took him several minutes to recover himself as his chest heaved air into his lungs. He was helpless in those moments and he was grateful to feel Selina holding him tight against her as he slowly regained his senses. Her fingers stroked through his hair as she murmured words of love and praise against his temple soothing him in his moment of vulnerability. When he finally looked up at her face Selina stopped him from asking if she was all right, they were well beyond such questions in her opinion. She cupped his jaw and kissed him deeply as she wrapped her legs behind his thighs, "Again." She growled the demand against his mouth.

Bruce felt the smile unfurl across his face and he nipped at her soft lips, "Hell yes, again."

X

xx

Alfred walked through the halls of the manor, his steps were quick, as he greeted the familiar workers with curt nods. He arrived outside the master bedroom and was just preparing to knock when a young housekeeper emerged from the room.

Startled, she stuttered out the status of the room defensively, "The bedroom is finished, Mr Pennyworth." She swung open the door and Alfred walked inside giving the room a courtesy glance. Two additional house cleaners emerged from the bathroom gathering up their supplies. They also affirmed that the master bath was ready to be inspected.

Alfred gave the massive bathroom a once over and nodded his approval. "I trust Master Wayne was not disturbed."

The elder of the three women spoke up, "Master Wayne and the woman are on the East Veranda I believe, Mr. Pennyworth."

Alfred looked sharply at the woman, attempting to detect any disrespect. Finding none, he dismissed her etiquette breech, "Going forward you may address the lady in his company as, Ms. Kyle. If she is so inclined to have you address her in another manner it will be at her discretion." He indicated they were dismissed with a lift of his hand as he directed them on to their next task, "Ready Master Blake's chambers along with the Tower Suite. Have Mrs. Strawser find me on the Veranda. I wish to speak with her regarding tonight's dinner menu."

Alfred walked purposefully off to find Bruce and Selina hoping inwardly that they had not been disturbed from their chambers by the staff or the missus inadvertently offended by the maids and their unpolished manners. He glanced down and from his position on the stairwell, he identified a familiar face in the foyer, "Master Blake. Welcome back to the manor."

Blake looked out of his element as he stood off to the side while workers bustled passed. His hands were shoved in the front pockets of his trousers and he seemed to be trying to make himself as small a target as possible. He looked up and Alfred could see that he was grateful to see a familiar face. The butler continued down the stairs and collected the young man, "Follow me Master Blake, the Master and Mistress of the are on the Veranda.

The Veranda was down a flight of stairs at the end of a long window filled corridor. Another twisted stone stairway descended to an expansive patio that overlooked the grounds to the East. Blake and Alfred paused on the stairway watching Bruce and Selina from above.

X

"No way I am letting you see the house, Bruce. You have already ruined Gordon's surprise just by being here. I will be damned if you drag me down with you. So you just stay put."

Bruce's eyes narrowed, "You have been prowling the halls here for weeks Selina. You should be the last one to talk about ruining the suspense on the unveiling."

Selina smirked at him her shoulder, zipping the jacket of the black wind suit higher, "The house isn't being given to me, Mr. Wayne."

"Isn't it?" Bruce leaned back in the white wicker chair settling himself against the teal blue cushion as he looked at his fiancée and smiled as he waited for her response. Selina just rolled her eyes and shook her head. Bruce laughed as though her reaction had pleased him as he pulled the newspaper off the table, "Denial. I love that I knew it would be denial that I got out of you." He ignored her as he made a production of perusing the front page.

Selina shot him a dirty look as she meandered over from her perch on the marble railing. "Pardon me, _Master_ Wayne. Just because I'm not accustomed to," she waved her hand around, "all of this excess."

Bruce looked over the paper at her, "Give the word and I will have it boarded up and you I and Alfred will go live in a tent together on Park Row."

Selina rolled her eyes and laughed, "You wouldn't do that."

Bruce lowered the paper further, "Why not?"

Selina answered as she swung a leg over his and settled uninvited on his lap, "Because Meghan would not approve."

Bruce chuckled at the mention of the little girl. He shifted and was forced to move his newspaper as Selina invaded his lap and now commanded his full attention. He lay the rumpled paper aside shaking his head, "You know Selina, sometimes you are more catlike than you realize my dear."

Selina narrowed her eyes at his comment on the invasive claiming of his lap. He tempted fate further by fingering the feline logo stitched across her warm-up. Selina followed the movement of his hand and rolled her eyes, "My closet seems to be filled with Puma gear."

Bruce chuckled, "You can't say Alfred doesn't have a sense of humor."

Selina fought back a smile, "He's a regular riot."

Bruce's eyes were filled with gentle humor, which warmed Selina to her core. Rather than showing him that response she instead curled her nose, "This cat stuff is getting tiresome, Wayne. Besides, if I were a cat wouldn't I would be purring right now?"

Bruce let his hands cup her bottom as he settled her against him, "As I recall… I had you purring pretty good last night, kitten. "

Selina chuckled, "Yeah you did, handsome." Selina sat back on his lap and looked down at him He was freshly showered and dressed in a cranberry knit long sleeve shirt. The crew necked shirt was just enough coverage to ward off the nip in the early morning air. He was supremely casual and completely at ease with himself in worn Levis and bare feet.

Selina herself had chosen a workout suit as she was unwilling to face fastening buttons and buckles one handed. Bruce had already annoyed her by assisting with the zip on the jacket.

She sighed as she looked down at the man before her. _If you blocked out our surroundings, at this moment we could be any couple in Gotham. Just two people in love sharing an intimate moment before the day begins… before the pressures of the world make him turn back into Bruce Wayne, or the criminals make him pickup the mask. Sitting here… he is just Bruce and he loves me and that is plenty enough to make me a happy woman._

She kissed him lightly on his lips and Bruce returned the gentle press allowing her to deepen the kiss at her leisure. Selina relished the feel of his warm hand sliding up her back and settling on her shoulder as he massaged her sore muscles. She shivered with the pleasure that brought and gave a soft hum of contentment. Bruce grinned against her lips, "That's what I want to hear little kitten, purr for me."

Selina growled and Bruce's deep chuckle had her inside's liquefying. She drew back and gave him a sly smile, "If you think you are going to seduce me again you have another thing coming, Wayne."

Bruce sighed, "I would love to spend the day seducing you, but sadly our afternoon is destined for interruption. Alfred will be here soon. I spoke to him earlier. Gordon and Meghan are being invited to join us for dinner. I intend on being given an early tour of the newly renovated Wayne Manor courtesy of the three of you." Bruce caught the look on Selina's face even though she tried to cover. "Unless," He studied her closely, "Unless my fiancée has somewhere else she would rather be tonight?"

Sighing at his word usage Selina was left to confess that she did indeed have other engagements, "Nowhere I would _rather_ be, but somewhere I in fact, _need_ to be."

Bruce's eyes were cool as he contemplated what she was telling him and likely imagining all the things, she was not telling him. He absently traced the outline of the jumping cat on the front of her jacket, "Something I need to know?"

"Weapons are set to move out of the Bowery tonight. I wanted to be there. See who shows. Follow the goods." Bruce tensed as his eyes flicked down to her injured arm.

Selina squirmed, "I'm fine, Bruce. I'm not doing anything but recognizance tonight anyways."

He squeezed her hip, "Would you mind my company? I intended to be there tonight myself. Your Detective, Stephens already dropped that little bit of intel to Gordon and Blake and I had planned on running the the surveillance ourselves before you went rogue chasing the Killer Croc."

Selina made a face at him obviously not understanding the reference. Bruce's eyes twinkled, "You haven't seen the headlines today have you my dear? You should try reading the newspaper instead of sitting on it, kitten." He pulled the rumpled paper off the table and flashed the front page at her, "Killer Croc is the name of your nemesis from the tunnels."

Selina flopped open the paper and read aloud: _'**Killer Croc Meets his Match in Gotham City**.' In December, it was reported that Gotham's infamous Catwoman of Bane fame had been killed after the raid against Scarecrow and his minion's. It now appears that another woman has stepped up to take the mantle of Gotham's fallen heroine. A woman police described as Amazonian in stature…_

Selina stopped reading at the word Amazonian making a small sound of protest as she rolled her eyes. She tossed the paper aside and began to climb off Bruce's lap. His laugher stopped her and she glared down at him her eyes narrowing as she considered making him the next headline victim of the Catwoman.

"If _that_ part bothered you, thank God you stopped reading before you got to where they estimated your weight." Selina quickly reached for the paper, but Bruce held it away from her. She made a grab for it again and he held it behind him as he caught her with a kiss. She shoved him away and continued unabated after the paper.

Alfred and Blake stood on the patio watching the battle between the two as Bruce was forced to scramble out of his chair by Selina's determined pursuit, "Give me that paper, Bruce."

He shook his head at her demand, "I think not kitten. I will however read you some excerpts. "The woman was described as tattooed and muscular. She was masculine in nature and was originally mistaken for a man by the first police arriving on scene_."_

"Bullshit!" Selina made another grab and Bruce dodged her deftly. Having her down to one appendage was swaying things in Wayne's favor, but Selina eventually succeeded in backing Bruce against the banister. He held the paper out over the railing continuing to read, "Gotham City's newest Catwoman fearlessly took the fight to the heavy-weight criminal known as the Killer Croc. Police officers on scene said they were evenly matched as the Cat was obviously fighting well within her weight class. Police witnesses estimated the feline fem fatale at six foot three and over 230 pounds."

Selina socked him in the stomach and Bruce groaned out a laugh, lowering his arm in defense of his unprotected abdomen. She snatched the paper and whirled away from him. Bruce wrapped her at the waist holding her captive in his arms chuckling. Mindful of her strike zones he kissed her neck and nuzzled her ear as she scanned over the article for herself. " Liar, " She snapped, "It doesn't say anything like that, Wayne."

He smirked into her neck as she smacked him in the head with the folded paper. She made a half-hearted attempt to extract herself from his arms. He did not let her go, and her efforts at escape only succeeded in turning her where they were now face to face. He rested his forehead against hers, "Are you sure it didn't say even a few of those things?"

Selina's eyes glinted as she looked up at him, "Are you enjoying yourself, Bats?"

He smiled, "Yes. Immensely." He kissed the tip of her nose as she glared at him. He noticed movement over her shoulder and he allowed it to distract him for a moment.

Selina slid her hand under his soft thermal shirt and she used her access to pinch the vulnerable skin at his waist, "Am I boring you, Mr. Wayne?"

He flinched at the newest assault from Selina, but his eyes remained fixed behind her, "Not at all, kitten. You are so interesting in fact that you seem to be drawing an audience." Selina looked over her shoulder and her face broke into a smile. Lifting her injured hand from its position curled against her stomach she waved a greeting to Alfred and Blake.

The men looked at one another and laughed before returning waves of their own. Alfred was in a dark suit and tie with a crisp white shirt; Blake was far more casual in tan Dockers and a chocolate brown button down rolled at the elbows. Selina turned back to discover an equally amused Bruce Wayne. "What is so funny this morning?"

Selina seemed ill at ease with being the source of entertainment for the group. Bruce soothed her, "I think they are enjoying my good humor. I have been a little on edge without you these past few weeks."

"Months," Selina corrected, "Its been months Bruce." She looked as if she might not let him off the hook without making him pay right then for every moment they had spent apart. Luckily, she relented, "I hope you weren't too unbearable… for Alfred's sake anyways."

Bruce kissed her forehead, "I was insufferable. I admit it." He rested his chin on her head and sighed, "I will likely still have my moments, but you seem to have a way of handling my moods... keeping me in check."

Selina smiled up at him as she slipped her hand from his waist up his muscular back, "Its no trick, handsome. Its called steady sex. No one can be an unbearable ass when they are getting laid regularly." Selina gave him a sly side look, "Especially not the way we do it, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce found himself in complete agreement, "I can't argue that point my dear." _If sex was in fact the key to a positive outlook than they were both destined for a fantastic day. My only concern now was her wrist. _

Spurred on by the flashes of Croc and Selina battling and her repeated requests for pain medicine earlier Bruce had been prompted him to ask the nature of her injury. He had been helping her with her jacket when he gave up waiting on her to tell him on her own and finally inquired as to the details. She had answered with a vague explanation that she had twisted her wrist. He had brushed a finger lightly over the darkening bruises on her arm and reminded her about her promise to be honest with him.

She finally admitted that Waylon had gotten to her as she slipped through a separation in the grates in an attempt to escape him. He had twisted her arm as she struggled to keep from being pulled from under the protection of the mesh walkway. Bruce had stood there stoically as she recounted the harrowing experience. He finally asked her how she gotten free and she smiled at him, "I bit him."

He had fallen more in love with her in that moment as the crooked smile stretched across her face. He had shook his head and adjusted her jacket as he kissed her, "A woman taking a bite out of him this time. That is irony at its finest."

Bruce kissed her again now not caring in the least that Alfred and Blake were witnessing their intimacy. He slipped his hand under her chin and gazed down into her eyes. "I love you, Selina."

I love you, Bruce." Her reply was intense and Bruce adored the openness of her brown eyes, as she seemed to be looking right into his bared soul.

"I love you both, but so help me I will turn each of you over my knee if you are not able to get this situation between yourselves sorted out presently."

Alfred stood behind them with his hands folded over his chest looking the picture of authority. It was a posture that he often employed when ordering about his charges and seemed to be the one he had chosen today as he stood judge over Bruce and Selina.

Selina smiled and accepted the scolding as he hugged her to his chest, "Good to have you back with us again, Ms. Kyle. I trust you will not be taking your leave anytime soon?" The question was to Selina, but Alfred seemed to be waiting for the confirmation from Bruce.

Bruce gave Alfred a depreciating look. Selina smirked at Bruce obviously enjoying the dynamic between the men, " Alfred, I suppose I will be around until the next time Bruce dumps me or sends me packing."

"Selina." Bruce's warning hung in the air, but he stopped himself from scolding her further in Alfred's presence. Selina knew she had him at a disadvantage and smiled broadly.

Alfred shook his head in mock exasperation, "Or until the next misunderstanding that has you running off half-cocked perhaps?" Selina had the good sense to look properly chastised as Bruce smirked at her over Alfred's shoulder.

Alfred kissed her temple and patted her back, "Brunch will be served on the veranda presently. I prefer the lot of you remain from underfoot and allow the various workers to move freely through the manor." He gave Bruce a look and nearly huffed, "It is, after all nearly four days premature to the scheduled unveiling, so it is not presentable in the least.

Bruce laid a hand on Alfred's shoulder. "It is more than presentable. From what I have see of it Alfred it is magnificent."

Alfred gave a small proper bow, "Were I the only one responsible for its transformation I would happily absorb the compliment," He cleared his throat and nodded at, Selina, "On the behalf of Mr. Geller perhaps we will accept the accolades together, Missus Kyle."

Selina nodded, "Delighted to, Sir Alfred."

X

Xxx

They heard Alfred's voice over the sound of hammering, "No the Monet goes in the landing on the second floor." He walked past the huge four French doors pointing a pair of young men up and away with small watercolor Monet.

Selina watched in amusement as Alfred orchestrated the final push for perfection within the mansion. Last minute details being pulled off no longer for the master of the manor but for the guests that would grace the halls in his honor.

Blake cleared his throat, "So what do you think of the place, Bruce?"

Bruce shook his head, "I can't say. Alfred and Selina won't let me see it." He grinned at Selina as Alfred again walked by handling several decorators, giving them directions on rug placement before they hurried quickly to perform the bidding of the proper Englishman.

Bruce's smile deepened, "Alfred is in his glory with an army of servants to command."

Selina leaned on her elbows watching Bruce watching Alfred. _Bruce pretending not to be pretentious while Alfred positively basked in it._ "You two," She shook her head and smiled as she sipped water from a glass with fresh lemon garnishing the side.

Bruce's cell phone beeped and he stood as he read the message. "Fox is here. It is time for your x-ray."

He did not have to tell Selina twice. She sat down her glass and slid over the patio railing before he could say another word. She walked quickly across the lawn holding her injured arm to her chest to minimize the jostling as she moved.

Bruce watched her with amusement as she broke into a trot that carried her down the grassy hill to the drive. Fox had not even brought the vehicle to a stop before Selina was standing at the driver's door bouncing impatiently on the balls of her feet.

Fox only barely managed to get out of the vehicle before his arms were filled with Selina Kyle. He lifted her off the ground and kissed her cheek. His rich deep baritone voice mingled with Selina's warm lilting laugh and the sound of their happy reunion reached the veranda and the two men that now stood upon it. Blake shook his head, "Fox is crazy about her."

Bruce nodded, "Don't I know it." Blake fell silent and Bruce turned his attention to him, "Something on your mind?"

Blake dropped his head, Gordon called." His jaw worked, "The final count is in from the coroner. Fourteen women." He did not seem able to say anything more.

Bruce took a deep breath and blew it forcefully out. _It could have easily been sixteen... _He reminded himself that it was not sixteen and that Selina was the only reason in fact that the killings had ended when they did. He focused on her as she and Fox talked. Their unabashed happiness made the conversation he was having with Blake bearable, but only just so. He scrubbed his face with his hands "Fourteen women snatched off the street, and we didn't even know they were gone." He dropped his hands to his hips watching intently as Fox inspected Selina's arm.

Blake's voice was soft, "Is she ok?"

Bruce nodded, "Sprained wrist most likely. Fox is here to make sure that's all it is." Blake dropped his head and Bruce's eyes narrowed as his attention was directed to his student. _Alfred said the kid had been down there for most of the night as the crews removed the women. He looked years older from the experience. _It dawned on Bruce then that Blake was likely asking about more than just the state of Selina's physical health_. _Bruce's face went blank as he realized he was unwilling to share any of Selina's experience. "She is a survivor, John. It will take more than the likes of that Louisiana scumbag to get the best of her."

Blake stood there quiet for a moment before he spoke, "Well I guess she is more of a man than I am then because I still feel like I might throw up." He turned and dropped onto a patio chair and stared sickly at the plate of food that had been set out for him.

Bruce laid a hand on his shoulder, "Blake," The young man did not answer, but Bruce knew he was listening, "The mask won't protect you from the things you are going to be exposed to. You are going to see things... feel things… be apart of things that are very disturbing. They are going to stay with you… some of them for a long time… some of them forever. You will have to find a way through the darkness… find a way of existing in it without letting it consume you."

Blake rubbed his forehead, "What's the secret to doing that?"

Bruce Wayne looked down at Blake and then over at Selina as she and Fox talked animatedly, "I don't know, John. I am still trying to figure that out." He felt Blake's eyes on him and he kept his face impassive, he wouldn't share anything of Selina, but he owed the kid his own experiences. "I think knowing you don't have to do it alone might be the key." He patted Blake's shoulder and sat down beside him, "You have people in this with you Blake. We are here for you, remember that."

Blake nodded in understanding, but Bruce could tell that he was lost in his emotions. Bruce slipped his hand onto the back of Blake's neck and squeezed, "You haven't even had time to grieve the loss of your friend, John." Tears filled Blake's eyes as he tried to remain composed. Bruce quietly asked him, "Do you need some time to work through things?"

Blake shook his head, locking down his emotions before he emasculated himself further in front of his mentor, "No I don't need time off, Bruce. What I need is to hit something."

Bruce nodded in understanding, "Go get changed and meet me in the yard in fifteen." Blake looked up and Bruce inclined his head toward the wide expanse of grass. "We will get a workout in, burn off some energy." Blake sat there for a moment before glancing over to where Selina stood. Bruce interrupted his thoughts, "She understands what we are doing, Blake. You aren't taking me away from her."

Blake nodded and mumbled, "Alright."

Bruce studied Blake as he walked quickly from the patio, his head down, and shoulders hunched as if he was walking into a stiff wind. Alfred appeared by Bruce's side and with matching looks of concern they watched the young man depart. Bruce folded his arms over his chest his head lifting ever so slightly as he heard the voices of Fox and Selina again, "Strange to have the house full of people again isn't it Alfred?"

"You mean having the house filled with a family again?" A smile turned up the edges of Alfred lips, "It has been a long time in coming if you don't mind my saying, Master Wayne. I am anticipating greatly the arrival of the Commissioner and Miss Meghan this evening. I shall delight in hearing the laugher of a child ring through the halls again."

Bruce felt his grim mood dissipate at the mention of the Commissioner's little girl, "Well, I hope for your sake that Meghan approves of the house, Alfred. It might have behooved you to have brought her in as a consultant on the remodel."

Alfred raised his brow and favored him with a look of superiority, "Well, bully for me then as I happened to do that very thing."

x

xxx

xxxxxx

OK...please review and be brutal. I have rewritten this thing 9 times now. Let me know what needs work and I will make it an even 10.

Thanks for hanging in there as I go through my suffering artist moment - I hate not liking what I write but hopefully the next installment will not cause such angst. I have a pretty good start on it already - so keep your fingers crossed.

-Slingblade-


	9. Chapter 9

Good evening Gotham. Here we go with chapter 9

Thanks to every one that reviewed me through my writers block and gave feedback on Chapter 8. I'm glad to know that you guys are still out there in the Bat/Cat fandom reading my story.

Hope you enjoy...

Chapter 9

Fox and Selina emerged onto the patio as Blake launched his attack. He faked an elbow strike and attempted to land a quick front kick to Bruce's ribs. Wayne, though distracted by the sudden appearance of his fiancée was also inspired by it. He ignored the obvious deception in Blake's attack and countered with a knee block that deflected Blake's foot to the outside. With blurring speed he pushed off his brace leg and performed the maneuver Blake had just attempted, a front snap kick to his pupil's abdomen.

Blake was able to brace and absorb the impact, but his responding jab lacked power and Bruce caught him easily in an arm bar. Rather than toss Blake on his back and hold him as he normally would, Bruce spared the young man the abuse in front of his peers. Instead Bruce tugged him off-balance allowing him to understand the consequences of his sloppy counter attack and then released him with a sharp look of rebuke. Blake nodded wordlessly in understanding.

Bruce walked to the patio, brushing the clinging grass from his arms. He nodded over to Fox, "I would shake your hand but," he shrugged an apology for his current condition. Fox nodded in agreement of suspending their social convention. Bruce's eyes fell on Selina as she walked over to the railing, "Mr. Fox, how is your patient?" Selina was herself undeterred by his bedraggled condition; she bent over the railing and kissed him. She lingered for a few moments longer than socially proper and Bruce chuckled as she continued o kiss him. He was grateful that Fox had waited to answer his question because he would have never heard his response over the blood roaring in his ears.

Selina finally broke away and glanced over his shoulder, "You ever going to figure out not to telegraph that left jab, Robin?"

Blake smirked as he looked at her arm resting in a sling around her neck, "Speaking of lefts, how's yours doing, Katness?"

"Broken," Selina gave an indifferent shrug.

Blake looked quickly at Bruce. He did not look pleased with the news, but Selina seemed to be taking it in stride. Blake took only a moment longer to realize that Fox, wise man that he is, was standing well clear of the couple's interaction.

She adjusted the sling on her neck as she ignored Bruce and focused on Blake, "Fox said it was actually better that it broke. A sprain would have taken longer to heal. The way things are now, I will spend a few weeks in a cast and then be right back in the thick of things."

Blake did not miss Bruce's look of displeasure at her comment. Bruce's annoyance seemed to fuel Selina's nonchalance. She finally acknowledged the unrest of her significant other with a roll of her eyes, "Calm down big guy. Fox and I are headed out now to have it set. I will be back in a few hours."

Bruce leveraged over the banister. His legs swung effortlessly over the railing and his arching trajectory landed him standing beside her. "Give me twenty minutes to clean up and I will go with you."

Selina brushed off his offer along with a tuft of grass that clung to his shoulder, "No dice, handsome. Fox and I are gonna hangout and test the limits on his new sound system." She gave Blake a smirk over her shoulder, "Besides, from what I just saw the junior B-man needs you worse than I do."

Bruce growled a response at her unsolicited remark on Blake, but his reprimand was smothered against his lips as she kissed him goodbye. He reluctantly relinquished her to the care of his CEO with a demand that he be kept informed of her condition. Selina had just smiled at him over her shoulder and winked as she and Fox disappeared through the patio doors.

Blake leaned over the railing watching Fox and Selina make their exit, "Does Fox know for sure it's broken?"

Bruce gulped down a glass of water, "I imagine so. He has seen enough broken bones in the past he knows what he is looking for in an X-ray." Bruce slammed down the rest of his water and returned the tumbler to the glass top table. The cubes rattled in the empty glass as Bruce slung his leg over the railing, " Lets get back to it."

x

Feeling the fatigue settling in his muscles, Bruce rolled his shoulders and flexed his hands as he watched his student. The exhaustion on Blake's face was evident and a small line of blood trickled from his lip. Blake's shitabaki was soiled from endless rolls into the grass and his hair was soaked with sweat. Bruce knew he must look a similar sight himself. He heaved a breath feeling the dull ache in the muscles of his back and ribs, "You had enough?"

Blake nodded allowing his shoulders to sag as his arms seemed suddenly too heavy to do more than just hang like weights at his sides. The men trudged up to the patio together, blades of grass clinging to their skin. Alfred met them at the railing with water and towels, his disapproval apparent as he surveyed their appearance. "Best you both take a torch to those garments. I will not spare the soap to salvage them."

Bruce ignored the quip as he accepted the towel and the tumbler of ice water. He leaned on the beautifully sculpted railing and enjoyed the feel of the sun warm on his bare shoulders as sweat ran freely down his back, slipping down his ribs. The thick waistband of his own white karate pant was soaked through from his exertion. He wiped the white towel over his face, vigorously scrubbing at his skin. He was not surprised to see blood and dirt staining the cotton cloth when he finished. _More fuel for Alfred's burn pile..._

Blake drained the contents the glass Alfred offered him and requested a refill from the large water picture on the table.

Bruce collected his phone off the ledge and made note of the time. His brows furrowed. _Four hours. _He scanned his call log. Three missed text messages were on his phone. He was scrolling through them when he heard Fox's car pulling into the drive. Alfred was already stepping into the house likely setting a course for the arriving pair. Bruce followed Selina's route walking the grounds to intercept the arriving vehicle.

Selina stepped out of the passenger's side wearing sunglasses and Bruce immediately recognized them as Fox's. Something that also leapt to his attention was that she was not in a cast. Her jacket sleeve was still in place and her arm rested in a sling much as it had when she had left four hours prior. _What the hell._ Bruce stepped up his pace. She said something and Lucius gave her a smile and shook his head. When Fox offered his hand to assist her up the steps to the landing, Selina accepted. Bruce was now close enough to see the pallor of her face and the pained expression on her face. "Selina," Bruce called out to her and as she lifted her head, he saw her mask slide into place. Her lips that were pressed together in pain seconds before twisted into a forced smile.

Selina straightened her shoulders and her brows lifted as she took in his battered state, "You look like you got rode hard and put up wet, Wayne."

Bruce ignored her insult and held himself back from telling her that she herself looked like warmed over death. Bruce glanced quickly at Fox "I thought you said it was broken? You took her to see Leslie didn't you? Why didn't she cast it?" Bruce fired the questions at his CEO as he leaned in and kissed Selina's forehead. His hand cupped her chin as he studied her face.

Selina rolled her eyes, "I am standing right here Wayne if you have questions that need answering." She shooed his hands away obviously annoyed with him. "For your information I got something way cooler than a cast." She slipped the sling past her elbow and pulled up the sleeve of her jacket reveling an apparatus the likes of which Bruce had only seen once before. He had held a model of it in his hands in fact in the boardroom of WE as his medical research division announced its FDA release date.

Bruce's frown deepened as his finger ran over the hard brace and he fixed Fox with a look of disapproval, "What is this, Fox?"

"I am surprised you don't recognize it, Mr. Wayne. You have sunk enough money into its development, I would have thought you would have been able to identify it straight away." Fox placed his hands on his hips, as the breeze ruffled the tie over his stomach. Selina held up her arm and rotated it so Bruce could further inspect the space-aged apparatus. It was a fiberglass mesh support, which caged her forearm and hand in a honeycomb like exoskeleton.

Selina grinned as Fox listed off the specs. "This, Mr. Wayne, as you well know, is the latest advancement from Wayne Medical Technologies. It is a three-dimensional, computer generated Cortex cast. The lovely, Ms. Selina Kyle is now officially clinical test subject number 43."

Selina looked ultimately pleased with the situation, so much so that Bruce was finding it hard to justify his discontent at her having been utilized in the clinical testing. He focused his displeasure away from Selina; " I am not overly thrilled at my fiancée being used in test trials for WE Medical division, Lucius."

They both knew the reputation of the product so Bruce's reservations were not based on anything but his overly protective nature. Knowing this Fox gave him a reproachful shake of his head, "Bruce you know better than to even insinuate that I would do anything less than provide the best of care for, Selina."

Bruce nodded reluctantly, "It figures you two were up to something like this when you just didn't set it here yourself."

Selina balked a little at his statement and Bruce did not miss the look that passed between her and Fox. To Selina's credit, she did not make Bruce call her out. She cleared her throat, "Fox has taken excellent care of me, Bruce. Thanks for asking by the way. And yes, he could have cast it here, but he wanted to get another opinion on the X-rays."

Bruce studied her closer as he again addressed his question to Fox, "Another opinion. Why?"

Selina blew out a breath clearly annoyed, "Because I told him about how weird I was feeling last night; the chills and slurred speech. He just wanted to make sure everything checked out." She glanced at Fox and then back to Bruce.

Fox looked between the two of them before he filled in the blanks for his boss, "After what she told me I suspected there might have been a fat embolism generated from the bone break. I took a chest X-ray and it showed shadowing around her lungs. I needed to be sure we had things under control."

Selina groaned as she turned to walk up the stairs toward the house, "I thought we discussed this Fox. Gently. You were to break it to him gently."

Bruce halted her with a hand on her shoulder. "Embolism? What are you telling me, Fox?" He glared down at his fiancée, " More importantly, what are you trying _not_ to tell me, Selina?"

Bruce looked tense and agitated and Selina had to accept that his paranoia was not unfounded. _I have deceived him and manipulated him enough that he is bound to question if I am being truthful now, especially concerning my health. _Selina dropped her head, "Just what he said, Bruce. Firstly… I'm fine." Her hand was in his now and she squeezed it reassuringly as they both stared down at her injured arm resting innocently across her stomach. "The bone is set and I am fine." She cocked her head looking up at him. Not finding what she wanted in his eyes she sighed and raised her voice, "Fox, tell him that it is the truth. I can tell he doesn't believe me."

Fox gave her a wary look that said his bedside manner did not consist of sugar coating things. "She will be fine, Bruce, but there was bone marrow leaking into her blood stream and it did cause an embolism. She had a shock response and acute central nervous system disruption."

Bruce's head snapped to the side and his eyes pierced into Lucius. Fox raised his hands in defense as he clarified the medical jargon "The free-floating marrow in her blood caused her confusion and altered consciousness." He paused for a moment before he told him the truth of it all, "She was luckily it didn't affect her health further. Bruce, it could have easily resulted in respiratory distress. "

Selina shook her head, "Ok, you can stop helping me now, Lucius."

The concern was evident in Bruce's eyes as he searched her face, "I should have taken you right to the hosp-"

"Don't." She cut his apology off cleanly with her sharp command and a tug of his hand, " Just… don't." She took a breath and let it out in a controlled sigh, "You took care of me the way I needed you to, Bruce. If you hadn't pulled me out of the sewer I would have probably drown in the rain runoff." She leveled her gaze at him, "I was loosing consciousness when you found me, Bruce. Fox thinks when you helped me up that you might have actually slipped the bone back into place enough to slow the release of marrow." Selina squeezed his hand; her brown eyes were earnest and imploring as she spoke, "Bruce, you saved my ass. Again. So, thank you."

Bruce looked down at her hand holding his and his thumb pressed gently against the engagement ring, "I knew something was wrong, Selina. You were not yourself. I thought it was just the cold… shock from everything you had just been through." He looked shaken by the realization that she had been hurt more than he realized.

She sighed, "A lot of it was exactly that, Bruce. I was shook up and I didn't know what the hell was going on and you pulled me out of there and took care of me and now Fox hooked me up and I'm fine. I am standing here and I'm _fine." _She quirked a smile_, "_ I could use a painkiller, but other than _that_ I am great."

Bruce lifted his hand to her cheek and his brow furrowed, "You feel warm." He moved his palm to her brow and his lips pressed together as he glanced over his shoulder at "Fox, She has a temperature."

Fox motioned to the door where Alfred stood waiting, "Lets get her inside. Leslie had to reset the break and the shot she gave is probably wearing off."

Selina nodded that Fox's assessment was correct, "Yes, Fox. It damn sure has."

Fox answered Bruce's next question before it came, "Leslie recommended Tylenol with Codeine for the pain. There is some stocked here in the infirmary. It should help bring down her temperature as well."

Alfred held the door as Selina gave him a tired smile, "Thanks Alfred." He nodded and followed worriedly behind them until Fox pulled him aside and they went together to secure what he needed for Selina.

Blake entered the hall through the French doors with a towel slung over his shoulders. He glanced down at her arm and Selina gave him a smirk, "Badass cast huh?"

Blake snorted a laugh, as he assessed the slick porous honeycomb design of the cast, "It's going to be hard for me to sign my name on that one, Katness."

His comment drew a chuckle out of her, "Like I would have let you anyway." She gave him an appraising look, "Judging from the way you look Robin, Bruce might just have you outfitted for a cast of your own pretty soon. We'll get you one of the old-fashioned ones that you have to put a bread bag over to take showers."

Blake snorted a laugh and acknowledged his roughened appearance with a crocked smile, "None of those for me, Katness. Unlike you, I'm unbreakable."

Selina rolled her eyes, "Its amazing you are able to talk such a good game through that spit lip of yours, Robin."

Bruce stepped in between them, his look silencing Blake's retort as he guided Selina up the stairs. She was oblivious to his intervention as she looked over her shoulder, "I'm going to catch a nap grasshopper, and when I wake up we can go a couple of rounds and find out just how unbreakable you really are."

Blake held the ends of the towel around his neck as he watched Bruce and Selina ascend the stairs. _You have your hands full with that one, Wayne..._

_Xxx_

Bruce opened the door to their bedroom and had to restrain himself from assisting her through it. Twice on the stairs, she had reminded him it was her arm and not her leg that was injured. He had accepted the reprimand, but as she made her way to the bed, he was still invading her space. She gave him a look that told him that while she understood his concern she would not be tolerating much more of his hovering.

Bruce stood back as she pulled back the bedcover and kicked off her sandals. She sat down on the side of the bed and looked at him expectantly. Bruce knelt down in front of her, "Alfred and Fox will be here in a few, I am going to catch a quick shower." She nodded and gave him a light kiss on his lips. He hesitated for a brief moment and then felt her hand grasp his chin.

"Stop it." He looked as if he was going to respond, but her hard look silenced him. "Now you need to follow your own advice, Bruce. Don't over think things. Just. Don't." Her eyes softened, "And don't feel guilty because of this." She lifted her arm a fraction before returning it to her stomach.

H"I shouldn't have lost my control. You were serio-"

Selina interrupted, "Honestly, Bruce I just don't think I will be able to take it if you say you regret being with me... Her voice trailed off and Bruce held himself quiet as he watched her struggle with her emotions. "It's hard for me Bruce." Her leg started to bounce as the anxiety in her demanded a release, "It's hard for me to admit that I need you the way I do… and when I see that it isn't that way for you... I just-"

Bruce moved his hand resting it on her knee to still her nervous movement. His grip was firmer than was comfortable and it gave Selina an idea of the emotion that was obviously lurking beneath his calm exterior. When he did not speak immediately, Selina had to force herself not to squirm under his heavy hand, "Bruce?" His head jerked to the side as if his name had been a slap that landed against his face. She watched silently as his chest rose and fell with the force of his breaths. She could not help but reach for him. His hand flashed up and captured her wrist with a grip as unforgiving as iron.

Bruce lifted his head and she saw an angry pain in his eyes. His lips separated as if he was going to speak but the words did not come. He smiled ruefully and a choked laugh escaped. He shook his head as he released her hand. He stood and looked down at her for a long moment before he combed a hand through his sweat soaked hair, "Selina don't ever say something like that to me again. Don't presume to tell me how I feel or the degree to which I feel it."

Her eyes hardened as she met his icy stare with defiance, "I know that you are the Batman and everyone is just supposed to cower down in your awesome presence, but this between us can't be that way Bruce. Can you not at least pretend to think of me as your equal."

Bruce's jaw clinched, "Equal? You think you are my equal, Selina?" He shook his head and when he moved to grasp her shoulders Selina flinched. Bruce did not miss a reaction. He eased up on his grip and took a breath to center himself. "Does what we have feel equal to you, Selina?" His eyes pierced her as she squirmed despite her command to her body to remain still. Bruce kept his hands from gripping harder and instead caressed her arms lightly with his thumbs. "There is nothing equal about this Selina. You are... everything." He lost the battle with himself and his hands tightened and he shook her as his next word exploded out of him, "_Everything." _He dropped down to his knee and his eyes searched her, " How can you not understand that, Selina?" He lowered his head as his hands slipped down from her arms and circled her waist tightly. His voice was a hoarse whisper, "I can't lose you. How can you not get that?"

Selina threaded her fingers through his hair, "Don't do this Bruce. Please. I am right here and I'm not going anywhere."

His head rested on her chest, "What more could I ever do to make you understand what you are to me?" Bruce shifted and he was kissing her. She pulled him closer with a hand fisted in his hair. He sipped his hand under her jaw and tilted back her head, his mouth sliding over hers taking what he needed, his lips possessive and claiming. When he finally broke away he felt her pliant and yielding under his hands, "You need to understand something Selina, I can't change who I am or how I feel about you. Or that I am disappointed in myself... disappointed for not seeing how hurt you were. ..for pressuring you to-"

Selina felt her spine stiffen as she held herself back from over reacting, "You have a chance to not finish that sentence, Bruce." Her eyes were threatening and her hand was centered in his chest holding him at bay. She swallowed hard, "Don't. Before we get into this for real."

They glared at one another for several long seconds before hearing Fox and Alfred approaching outside the door. He jerked her to him and kissed her again hard before they arrived. He ignored the painful nip she gave him as he pulled away. "Never question my love for you again, Selina." He squeezed her hip possessively as his fist tightened in her hair, "It's a waste of your time kitten, and it pisses me off."

Selina favored him with a smoldering look as he stood and she felt the very real evidence of his passion as he brushed against her inner thigh. Her face flushed and she looked guiltily over her shoulder as the door opened. Bruce saw the color tint her cheeks and he growled at her unexpected display of innocence, "Mal file, I tell you... loving you is a sweet damn torture."

X

Xx

Selina watched the door shut behind Fox and Alfred. The blinds had been closed and the codeine she had taken was wrapping her in a cocoon of grey that fuzzed the edges of her vision. She roused when the door to the bathroom opened and a cloud of steam puffed through into the bedroom. The smell of evergreen and tea tree proceeded Bruce as he walked toward the bed.

She lifted her head off the pillow and managed a soft wolf whistle. Bruce smiled at her crass compliment crossing the room with only a burgundy towel slung low around his waist. Selina's smile looped across her face, "What's with the towel, you putting on airs now Wayne?"

He snorted a laugh, as he dropped the offending garment and climbed into bed beside her, "You are stoned." He made the observation with a sympathetic shake of his head.

She shut her eyes in blissful contentment, "Don't judge me Wayne. Just because I don't have your super human tolerance for pain and iron will against sex."

Bruce growled at her words, as their previous disagreement was unearthed and thrown immediately in his face, "What about now? You are drugged and defenseless, shall I be the kind of man that takes advantage of your current state?" he slid his hands under the thin white material of her tank top pulling it over her stomach exposing her white lace panties.

Selina slid her leg against his and grinned, "You could slow screw me into the mattress and I would ask you to stop only long enough for me to sign your thank you card."

Bruce chuckled, as his dark mood dissipated, "Or you would just fall asleep before we even got started." He took in her relaxed face and smiled softly down at her, "You are completely out of it, kitten." Selina just nodded as Bruce ruffled her hair, "I take it your pain has been effectively managed?"

She snorted a laugh, "I'd say that is correct, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce propped on his elbow looking down on her as she rolled over toward him lying on her stomach. She curled her arm under her pillow as the other rested caged by her side. Bruce rubbed her shoulders and her smile spread sleepily across her face. Bruce sighed, "You have taken such good care of me, Selina; my migraines, the surgery in Europe. Everyday you were there for me when I needed you. I am just want to do the same for you."

Selina's eyes were heavy and her lids lifted only halfway as she looked at him, "Its not a contest of who loves who more." She lifted her head slightly off her pillow, "Wait. Is it who or whom?"

Bruce laughed, "Go to sleep, Selina. Meghan will be here soon and you will need all the strength you can muster."

He ran his finger along her spine gently stroking her the soft band of skin exposed at the hem of her shirt. Her voice was only a murmur, "You don't always have to be a so cautious with me Bruce. You can just ask me if I can handle it and skip all of the sex deprivation torture you put us through."

Bruce nodded as his hand gently squeezed the globe of her buttocks, "If you weren't such a convincing liar I could do that kitten."

He watched for her reaction and was not surprised when her smile cracked wider and she rolled her eyes. "Touché," She rolled over and pulled him down kissing his lips softly, "I would like it if in the future you would just take what you want from me and not feel the need to handle me like unstable chemicals." Bruce studied her face and his voice caught in his throat as he started to speak, Selina's head cocked and her eyes lost some of the sleepy haze that had clouded them. "What is it, Bruce? Tell me."

His eyes dropped to her throat so he could watch her pulse and attempt to gauge her reaction to his words.

"Please." Her soft request reached him and he sighed, as he allowed his arms to gather her closer. He nodded and she understood that he needed a moment. She twisted her finger gently against the lengthening hair at his temple while she waited for him to speak.

"You want me to take what I want from you Selina, but I'm afraid of what that would make me to you. I'm not going to be a man that uses you for my own satisfaction." His hand tightened on her hip and she stilled as she waited for his face to lift and his eyes to meet hers.

"Is that how you see this Bruce? Like by having sex with me you are advantaging yourself over me?"

He shook his head, "No, and its important to me to know that it's not what you are seeing or feeling either." He lowered his eyelids but not before Selina saw the apprehension in his eyes, "I don't want to lose you."

She pulled him close, "Bruce I'm going to say this one time, and I really expect you to listen." She curled her arm around his neck and pulled him against her tightly, "I appreciate the care and patience you have shown me, it made all the difference in how I am able to be with you now." She kissed his cheek, " But you don't have to walk on egg shells around me Bruce and you don't have to keep working to earn my trust." She squeezed her arm around his shoulders, "You have it Bruce. You have me." She nudged his cheek with her nose, "Understand that I am yours, Bruce. I _want_ you to take your pleasure from me." She tugged his hair and he obediently lifted his head, "When I say yes, Bruce then understand _I want you_. You are not taking advantage, you are satisfying your mate."

Bruce felt his heart charge at her words. _Satisfying your mate…_ His jaw clinched and he felt the slippery twist of possession tighten in his chest. He shivered as Selina's nails scraped against his scalp and he felt the blood heating under his skin. Reveling in his own primal reactions he almost missed her next words, "You have to trust me, Bruce. When I say I'm a go… I'm a go."

Bruce exhaled a breath offered his only defense, "Selina, you have been half-dead and still said go."

Selina nodded, the loose smile back on her face as her eyes roamed over his lips, "Yes I have. What can I say? You just do it for me handsome. I won't apologize for asking for what I need and now that you been forewarned I will be expecting you to put out for me no matter the circumstances."

Bruce shook his head in frustration, but let her pull him down for another kiss. He was surprised when she whispered against his lips, "Remember that time in the hospital, Wayne. I swung that for you didn't I? I never felt guilty about it either, did I? I knew you wanted me and I made it happen for you because it's what you wanted, what you needed."

Bruce nodded his understanding, "I get it kitten. Just bare with me. I'm new at this. I'm going to make mistakes."

Selina swallowed and stroked his cheek before she kissed him, "I'm new at this too. You are the only man I have ever loved, Bruce. I don't know if I am even doing it right."

He kissed her again, " I promise, you are doing all the right _things_ all the right _ways_, Selina." They both laughed and the previous tension between them was forgotten. Despite having received her absolution, Bruce was grateful when she sleepily settled against him with no further sexual overtures. Spared from further moral debate Bruce contented himself with the touch of her skin on his and the security of her heart beating against his chest.

His body was fatigued from hours of training with Blake, but his mind was active in the quiet dark of the room. He was looking forward to tonight more than be had anything in along while. _Sharing the unveiling of Wayne Manor with my closest companions... not having to manufacture a facade and perform room by room as I am reintroduced to my family home. I am grateful they are doing it this way otherwise I would have walked the entire property prior to the unveiling to prepared myself for the event and strategizing my responses._

Selina began to turn and Bruce's arm tightened gently around her waist holding her firmly against him._ You said to take what I need from you little girl. This is what I need. I need to feel you._ Her leg slid up his and she settled closer, a soft sound of contentment murmured against his throat. The warmth of her body against him and the rhythmic beating of her heart lulled him. His hand on her hip squeezed gently as he shoved his other hand under the pillow behind his head. His eyes blinked slowly shut and he allowed his mind to drift.

_X_

_Xxx_

Gordon and Meghan arrived promptly at 6:30. Alfred allowed the door to chime before he opened the grand foyer to the two guests. Meghan stepped through with her arms held up to Alfred her intention to be held not relieved of her little black puff vest.

Alfred managed both as he lifted her into his arms and slipped off the garment. She hugged him and the walls rang with her happy cheer, "Sir Alfred I'm back again."

"Indeed you are little miss," He nodded a greeting and accepted a handshake from Gordon after the Police commissioner relieved him of her jacket. Gordon and waved off the offer of assistance from the proper butler.

"I'll hang it, Mr. Pennyworth. You seem to have your hands full at the moment."

Alfred chuckled, "I can only imagine that I will be the first of many that you can say that of this evening. We have all looked forward to seeing you and Miss Meghan again.

Gordon hung the vest with the care he knew Alfred would demand so the process would not have to be corrected later by the demanding butler. Gordon was dressed in a tan blazer and dark wash jeans. He slipped his glasses up on his nose as he hooked his hands into the back pockets of his denim pants. "I must say Mr. Pennyworth given the surroundings I feel incredibly underdressed."

Alfred smiled as he looked at Meghan in her little cotton knit dress. It had bright yellow stripes over blue with cap sleeves and a bow waist. Alfred complimented her from her hair ties all the way to her canary colored Mary Jane's. Meghan blushed and kicked her feet as they both admired her yellow shoes.

Gordon smiled tolerantly at his daughter's coquettish behavior knowing all the while the supreme struggle he had just endured to get her to take off her hello kitty pajamas and agree wear the blue tights she was now proudly showing Alfred. He had at one point considered wrapping her in her robe and bringing her to Selina to handle as the woman always had a way of getting Meghan to do anything she wanted without argument.

The commissioner relaxed visibly when Blake walked into the foyer clad in denim and with a simple black long sleeve button down. Blake greeted his former boss with a smile and looked more at ease himself than he had all day. Alfred noted the change in the young man as he released Meghan and she stampeded her way over to greet him.

Blake swept her up and she giggled as she hugged his neck. Blake seemed pleased with the loud 'Uncle John' that greeted him and he hugged her tight to his chest.

Meghan and Blake had connected well at the Christmas party and had seen each other several times since. She seemed increasingly at ease with the young man, her shyness fading as she grew more comfortable with every interaction.

The commissioner had been over at the penthouse on many occasions and now that the news of the mansion had broke Blake finally understood the visits. He had assumed before they were social calls.

He would appear from training and the Commissioner and Alfred would be having tea with Meghan coloring or playing ball with Ace. Often she would run up to him and hug him but on just as many occasions she would inform him that he was too sweaty for hugs and he would have to settle for a high five instead. She would ask where his various boo boos had come from and he would answer all of her questions with the patience of Job. She would often have a snack with him as he devoured his lunch. She would drink through Bruce's chocolate milk and decimate Alfred's supply of fresh baked cookies.

Blake told her she looked lovely tonight and asked her to be his girlfriend. Meghan giggled uncontrollably as she shook her head no. Blake frowned and demanded to know why and Meghan informed him bluntly that she was Sigmund's girl. He immediately complained, "No way. Are we going to have to dual for you again?"

Meghan cackled and nodded her head vigorously as she clapped her hands. The Christmas party had deteriorated at one point into a competition between the two men for Miss Meghan's attention. Sigmund had escalated the skirmish to an outright dual as he donned a helmet from the armor set in the hall of the penthouse, demanding Blake _'defend her honor or step down sir.'_

His heavy English accent had played in his favor as Meghan seemed enthralled by him. Blake had drawn himself up and collected the shield from the statue holding it in front of him as Meghan was reduced to squeals of delight as they mock battled. Blake laughed now at her reaction just at the mention of the dual. _I hope this house has an armor set I will redeem myself..._

Gordon watched as Selina and Bruce made their way down the stairs. Both were dressed casually in jeans, Wayne's a distressed charcoal and Selina's a faded blue. She looked effortlessly beautiful in a pink off the shoulder peasant top with her hair loose and wavy around her shoulders. Bruce was slightly more formal wearing a black single breasted cotton blazer over a crisp white button down. Gordon felt the rest of his nervousness dissipate as he reminded himself who the people actually were that resided in this intimidating house. He looked at Wayne's white shirt and then glanced over at his little girl and shook his head as he remembered the last time Wayne wore white around little Meghan. He made a mental note to try and contain her better after dinner and preserve the appearance of his hosts.

Bruce and Selina descended the stairway together making it all the way down without Meghan registering their presence. Selina snuck up behind the little girl as Blake continued to distract her. Selina wrapped her hand around the young girls head covering her eyes and Meghan sucked in a quick excited breath as Selina whispered "Guess who?"

Meghan pulled her hand away and yelled, "You that's who!"

Blake had to give up the girl as she immediate dove into Selina's arms. He supported her until he was sure Selina had her. Being down to one arm with an excited, Meghan was a handful.

Selina supported the little girl with her good arm under her bottom, but Meghan was truly doing most of the work as she clung to Selina's neck.

Bruce and Gordon greeted one another as Alfred encouraged the group into the adjoining den. Meghan threaded her hands through Selina's hair as she told her how much she had missed her and that she liked her pretty pink top. Selina told her that she had missed her more and an argument of degrees ensued. Meghan finally saw Bruce and she gave him a bright smile, "I am having dinner at your house this time, Uncle Bruce."

He smiled at her reference to his impromptu stop over when he was searching for Selina. He walked up beside Selina, one arm circling her waist the other stroking Meghan's hair as he kissed her forehead. Selina held the squirming little girl as best she could. Bruce met her happy eyes with a knowing look, "Want me to take her?" Selina nodded and he slipped his hands around Meghan's waist, "Come here, sunshine." He lifted her easily into his arms and balanced her in the crook of his elbow. Her arm immediately slung around his neck and she kissed his temple.

Both Bruce and Meghan seemed supremely satisfied that it would be he that escorted her through the house. Selina utilized her newfound freedom to greet Gordon. He kissed her cheek and then held her at arm's length as he looked down at her injured arm, "What's that about?"

Bruce looked over sharply and Selina shifted, suddenly uncomfortable with the attention, "Just a little memento from last night." Gordon's concern was not lost on her and she soothed him with a smile as she hooked her right arm through his, "I'm fine, Jim. Don't worry over it or you will start Bruce's brooding all over again. "

Gordon slipped his hand over hers and squeezed, "You're sure?"

Selina nodded trying to ignore Bruce as he hovered close with Meghan still held in his arms. She felt his eyes on her and finally acknowledge him with a quick glance. He looked more like the Batman then than he ever had wearing the gear. His broad shoulders were squared and his jaw set firm; the seriousness of his eyes told her that he was in full over-protect mode. Selina felt a pang in her heart as she watched him holding Meghan and something slid into place for her. She understood then what it must be like for him, the obligation loving someone put on a man like Bruce. A man that had so many people that he loved stripped from him over the course of his life. Selina swallowed hard and looked away hoping he had not read into her expression.

Bruce continued to watch Selina as he spoke to the little girl in his arms, "So Miss Meghan, I have to know. Does this qualify as a house? I have a real yard now as you can see." They stood in the den that overlooked the grounds to the South of the property. The wide expanse of manicured lawn went on for nearly half an acre before it gave into a heavily wooded oak grove.

She nodded her head excitedly, "It's a great big yard, Uncle Bruce and a real big house too! Sir Alfred even did a room for me and daddy for when we come visit."

Bruce felt some of the tension he was feeling unwind as he returned a smile to the little girl, "I can't wait to see it, Meghan. Will you show it to me?"

Meghan looked unsure of herself as she picked at the collar of his shirt, "This place is big like the museum. I might get lost by myself," she admitted."

Don't worry. I get lost in it too Meghan," Blake confessed. He looked at Gordon and grinned, "Seriously, I had to ask the maids twice today where they kept hiding my room." The men shared a laugh and Meghan seemed pleased that she was not the only one lost in the enormous house. Alfred reappeared with refreshments for the group. Bruce allowed Meghan down and she helped herself to chocolate milk and a mozzarella cheese stick that Alfred thoughtfully included on the menu for her enjoyment.

The group walked the lower level of the manor together. Room by room they inspected the remodel. Every room had some alteration to it since Bruce last resided here. Most of the furnishings were sold to settle his estate and according to Alfred, the renovations by the boys home had utilized many of the common areas as studies or day rooms for the children. Alfred informed the group of the origins of the new furnishings and spoke to the colors of the walls and the stain utilized on the moldings and floor. He was quick to identify the contributions of Sigmund and Selina and there were many just in the first few rooms.

Bruce gave her a small nod as she and Gordon walked past and on to the next destination, which was the caterer's kitchen. Bruce touched Alfred's arm and looked toward the windows of the retreat. "Those remind me of the ones mother had in here."

Alfred nodded, and gave Bruce a pat on his shoulder, "Your misses got into the old photos of the manor. The ones that were taken by the Gotham times shortly after you were born. She was quite a thorn in the side of the archivist there let me tell you. He ran her about as she tried to get copies of the old photographs. Ms. Kyle fiinally took matters into her own hand, went in after hours and collected them herself."

Alfred cleared his throat and shook his head as if he disapproved of her methods, but the amusement was obvious in his eyes. "She made copies and returned the originals straight away. I saw to that myself."

Bruce chuckled and shook his head. _Selina what am I going to do with you..._

Alfred continued on, "The photos were black and white of course, but she had me look at fabric swatches for hours until we found the right colors." He looked around the room, "I hope my memories served me and they are as they once were, Master Bruce. She wanted the room to be as your mother intended it. I mentioned to her that this had been her retreat."

Bruce shook his head, "It seems spot on to me Alfred." Bruce walked further into the room running his hand over the table in front of the window. A decorative tea service was set out on light yellow lace doilies. He felt his throat getting tight. "This was always mother's favorite place to gather with her friends. I remember her taking tea right here in front of this window. "

Alfred nodded in agreement with the memory, "Every Wednesday afternoon in fact, master Bruce."

Bruce smiled as he folded his arms over his chest, "She said they always insisted to meet here because you were the only person in Gotham that set a decent tea." Bruce glanced over and Alfred, smiling as his butler preened over the compliment.

Alfred straightened the his sleeves of his dark jacket with an air of superiority, "But of course, Master Wayne."

X

After seeing the retreat, Bruce's reactions seemed more veiled. Selina and Alfred shared occasional glances with one another as they tried to determine if he approved of the changes. Selina was especially concerned with the ones that had dramatically altered the original design of the house. One of the biggest under takings was the gymnasium. It had been dated and dark and Selina had come up with the suggestion of turning it into a dojo. Alfred had supported her idea entirely but as they approached, the entrance Selina was nearly sick with worry.

Blake lead the way intrigued by the entrance, a sliding wooden frame with paper panels. Japanese characters were on the left and Chinese on the right. Bruce raised his hand and stopped Blake before he slid them open. His eyes drifted over the characters as he tried to decipher the meaning. Finding the Chinese translation easier he began there, " Fear is the enemy of my enemies." He looked to the other side his lips moving soundlessly as he worked out the translation, " Fear exists in the night," he shook his head and his brows furrowed as he concentrated, "Fear _is_ the night. I ...am... the night." He paused for a moment and then nodded to Blake. The young man slid open the doors and they walked inside.

The room was enormous. Wood floors stretched across the endless expanse of space. A padded grappling mat was the only break in the calm uniforamity of the room. On the wall to the right of the door were swords, throwing stars, bolos, and rattan sticks, to the left batons, daggers, long staffs and bows. All of the weapons were reverently placed and backlit by soft lighting diffused through rice paper. The effect was dangerously beautiful. The entire space seemed to create a calm that was nearly hypnotic.

Bruce had to force his eyes away from the armory to take in the rest of the room. To the untrained, the dojo would seem barren, but he was neither the untrained nor the uninitiated. His eyes were immediately drawn to the grooves in the floor where wooden strike paddles could be erected. Small holes staged throughout that would eventually hold graduated balancing obstacles. He turned a slow circle as his eyes raised and he observed the rustic hooks mounted along the dark wood beams that framed the ceiling. They looked like nothing more than decorative accents but actually were anchors driven into the ceiling beams easily capable of supporting hundreds of pounds of men and gear. The room was perfect for suspension training. It was everything they needed for training.

The entire north wall of the room was sliding panels of glass framed neatly in wood. Their look extended the oriental flow of the room allowing for a spectacular view of the garden. The intended effect of the room was achieved immediately on all of them. It was clean and without distraction, a place of consistency without emotion of its own, it was beautiful simplicity. It was a place of learning and discipline, it was Zen.

Blake walked to the center of the room and did a slow spin, he felt like he had stepped back ages into ancient Japan. "Bruce… this is.. "

"Beyond anything I could have ever anticipated." Bruce finished the sentence for Blake and the younger man nodded his agreement. Blake stepped up beside him and they shared a look with one another before Blake's face broke into a smile, "I can't wait for master Yamashita to see this. He will think he has returned home to Okinawa."

Bruce nodded as he walked across the wooden floor and opened the sliding door onto the patio. The smell of cherry blossoms filled the room as a light breeze drifted in from the garden. His eyes flicked over the manicured junipers and graceful Japanese maples, influences from the orient were flawlessly integrated into the peaceful landscape.

Meghan made her way past him running to the edge of a still pond. She went immediately to her knees looking at her reflection in the dark water. Like ghosts, butterfly koi began swimming up from the inky depths. They fanned out in front her, their fins billowing silently in the tranquil water. "Fishes," she whispered. She looked over her shoulder urgently, needing a witness to share her discovery. Selina crouched beside her as they both looked into the water at the dazzling display of color on the exotic fish.

A beautiful gold koi dominated the display with the rich depth of his color and the white pearling at the tips of his fins. "What are their names?" Meghan asked quietly transfixed by their colorful display.

Selina brushed her blonde hair back over her shoulder as Meghan leaned closer to the surface of the water. "I don't think they have names yet," Selina paused knowing Meghan would quickly remedy the deficiency.

Meghan looked up at her and her eyebrows scrunched together "What are good fish names?"

Gordon shook his head and nudged Blake, " I have twenty dollars on Nemo and Dory." Blake wisely declined to bet, as those were the first names given to Meghan's new pets.

Alfred had knelt down beside them as Meghan was diligently naming each fish. He told her that there was a big black koi that lived in the pool. He said that in Japan they believed solid black koi were good fortune. He warned her that this particular fish was very shy liking to hide in the darkest shadows of the pool, rarely coming to the surface. Selina and Alfred had both laughed when Meghan named him Batman.

Bruce had been leaning against the railing of a wooden bridge that arched across the large pond and he laughed as he heard alter's name. Selina's smile was dazzling as she looked up at him, her right arm curled around Meghan's stomach as the little girl leaned out over the water searching intently for the Batman.

Selina encouraged her, "You have to look hard Meg, the Bat is notoriously hard to find."

Meghan searched the dark water even as Selina's eyes remained fixed on the man on the bridge. Bruce held her gaze as his fingers clasp together loosely. "I can't find him Selina." Meghan sounded defeated even though she continued to search.

Selina held her steady as she offered her advice, "Maybe you just have to be patient and let him come and find you."

Meghan accepted that advice with a disappointed frown, "Can we come back later and look some more?"

Selina shrugged, "We still have a lot more house to see and Alfred's fantastic diner to eat, but if your dad says it's alright I'm up for hunting for the Batman with you."

Meghan turned and hugged her hard. When she broke away her face was serious, "I hope you never have to go away again. I missed you." She looked over her shoulder and whispered, "Uncle Bruce missed you too, I think. He was sad a lot."

Bruce straightened a bit, bracing his hand on the railing as his other found its way into his pocket. He listened silently as Meghan laid him bare to Selina. He could feel Selina's eyes on him as she spoke, "I missed him more I think."

Meghan frowned, "Did you cry because you missed him so much?"

Selina nodded, "Several times."

Meghan's eyes got bigger as if she had not considered that a possibility. Bruce felt his chest tighten and he took a breath to loosen the vice against his ribs. Meghan looked at Selina with concern, "Maybe you should hurry and get married so you will be together forever already."

Selina crooked a smile, "Wait. I thought you wanted to marry Bruce. What happened to that? Did Siggy steal your heart away?"

Meghan laughed and shrugged her shoulders, "And Uncle John."

"What?" Selina looked down at her as if she was impressed, "Two guys? Man I am going to have to marry Bruce soon before you steal him away too."

Meghan giggled and nodded, "Better hurry up then."

Selina swatted her bottom as Meghan ran to the door calling for her father. Selina remained kneeling by the pool looking after the little girl with a smile on her face and when she looked up Bruce was standing beside her. She shook her head, "How is it you have the only pair of Italian shoes that have stealth mode options on them?"

He offered his hand to her and helped her to her feet, "Because I'm Batman."

Selina smiled and gave him a kiss on his jaw, "Yeah, you are aren't you."

"Selina," He looked around them as he held her hand in his, "This is beautiful. I love it. Sincerely, I have never felt more drawn to a place in my life than I am this very spot. Selina blushed and she seemed suddenly awkward with the praise he lavished on the home. Bruce looked at her reaction and understood it immediately, "You did this didn't you? This garden, the Dojo, they were your design." It was no longer a question it was a statement of what he knew to be true.

Selina shrugged, "Fox's contractors and the people at the Wayne botanical gardens are the ones that really deserve the credit. They took the drawings and well," she looked around, "They worked magic with them."

Bruce stepped closer to her, his chest pressing against hers, "Marry me."

Selina smiled and shook her head, "You have already asked me that once, Wayne. Unless maybe you are angling for a different answer this time?" Bruce pulled her tight against him and his eyes were so serious and intense that Selina immediately knew what he wanted. Her smile softened, "You want to be married here. Don't you, Bruce?"

He nodded, "We can do a public one with all the pageantry and fanfare later, but this... I want this for us. Us standing there on that bridge with the people we love most as witnesses. I want to marry you in this garden. He squeezed her waist, "I want it soon, Selina."

She smiled up at him her eyes bright with mischief, "So we can be together forever already?" Bruce nodded loving every bit of how little Meghan had called out exactly what he wanted for them. Selina mirrored his nod as she brought his face down to hers and captured him in a kiss, "Just tell me when handsome and I will be here.

"Find a dress, Selina." He paused for a moment, "Don't take your sweet time doing it either, kitten."

Selina traced the line of his jaw with a long finger, "Alfred is going to be pissed when you tell him."

Bruce shook his head, "Alfred will be ecstatic. Now he will have two weddings to plan." Bruce searched her face, " I'm serious about having a second ceremony, Selina." He squeezed her arms gently, " Something so grand it will make Charles and Diana's look pedestrian." Selina chuckled at his grandiose offer and Bruce shook his head as if he was disappointed that she was not taking him seriously. "I mean it, Selina. I will turn Alfred loose and tell him to do his damnedest to bankrupt me." He smiled as Selina blushed and beamed up at him, "Our wedding day will be a damn city wide holiday for Gotham if you want it to be, Selina. But, I want the real thing here." Bruce looked around them as he rubbed his hands down her arms, "Selina, I want to marry you here."

Bruce Wayne had just promised her the world on a platter, but Selina Kyle was focused only on the simple request he had made for himself. She stilled him with a hand laid on his chest, "I'll find a dress Bruce, but it is up to you to tell Alfred."

X

X

Xxx

Xxxxx

FYI Shitabaki- are a canvas karate pant

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I know the story may seem a little slow- I promise we are going to pick up on the plot in the upcoming chapter and get into some more Bat/Cat action- I'm sure it will be a relief for all of you that don't like the touchy-feely Bruce and Selina. lol

Take care

-Slingblade-


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